4 Ways to Apply Weight Training Lessons to Life

Last week, I mentioned some of the benefits of going to the gym and of doing weight training with a trainer.  Another one of those benefits has been applying all that I have learned to my everyday life in such a way that it benefits me outside of the gym.  For example, I make sure I carry my own bags when I shop for groceries.  Sometimes those sweet little bag people will load them up a bit too heavy.  That is when I put my “Farmer’s carry” lessons in place.  Shoulders back, chest up, arms down on each side with as close to the same weight in the bag as possible and then I carry them inside.  If I practice the farmer’s carry technique with the right posture, I am less likely to strain something.

When I carry boxes up to forty pounds or a large collection of water bottles, I put my dead-lift rules in place. I bend my knees and stand straight up with the box, shoulders back, chest up, and make sure my legs really carry the weight and not my back.

By learning how to step up on boxes at the gym, I learned the right way to go up and down stairs.  This has made such a huge difference because I previously walked up stair leaning forward over my knees.  Now, I purposefully straighten up, shoulders back more over the hips, stand tall, and walk up the stairs knees bent with more weight on the heels.   Everything I did before put my knees in jeopardy of injury, now I work to protect them and it is much easier to tackle any size staircase.  I almost approached stairs before as if they had already defeated me!

Finally, I walk more now since I began the gym life five years ago.  I am one of those who will park a long way from my destination, even the grocery, in order to get in those steps.  If I was a young mom with kids, I would be a curbside service grocery shopper for sure.  But, I am doing everything I can to NOT use this great service in order to get walking in.  Weight training has strengthened my legs and it is up to me to keep them working!

Anyone else want to add a way your gym lessons are applied to every day life.  Please share, and as always…………………………..

KEEP SMILING!

8 Comments

  1. Thank you for the comment about walking up stairs! I just watched a video on how to properly walk up stairs – I didn’t realize how far forward I was leaning!

  2. I was the same, Cindy. Once I started paying attention I realized why stairs were so cumbersome to me. Now, they are much much easier and I using them more often.

  3. Good tips about lifting and stairs. I never pay much attention to how I climb stairs, but I will now. The gym I go to most frequently has a long staircase to reach the machines (the track is on the ground floor). I’ll have to pay attention. I notice my posture overall has improved since I began working the various muscle groups. I pull in my abdominal muscles, sit up straighter, shoulders back. I’m more aware of the muscles and their functions when I can feel them working! Something else I’ve noticed is my attitude has changed. I’m more positive and hopeful, and more aware and cautious of what I’m eating. I care once again. The positive outlook is something I needed and a nice benefit of taking better care of myself.

  4. We here this from many, Karen about how activity results in positivity and I agree with you that it has done the same for me. I also pull in my tummy muscles more!

  5. I avoid the treadmill on the advice of our girls’ basketball coach at the high school, in favor of the elliptical and arc trainer for my cardio. For weights, I use machines so as to get my posture right, and I also swim. But for me, the big difference for lifting, bending, squatting and stair climbing has been yoga. I go to a mixed ability class that’s offered free at my gym, and also practice just a bit at home using a YouTube instructor. The difference in my leg and back strength, plus balance, has been nothing short of amazing. I used to fear falling on the ice in winter, and now I don’t. In fact, I’ve avoided a couple of falls because my legs are strong enough to regain my footing. I am not a fitness junkie (just the opposite), but like you, Pam, I discovered the gym about five years ago and the difference in how my body functions and improved body confidence has been game changing. It is never, never, never too late. The best time to start was thirty years ago; the second best time is today.

  6. Something that has REALLY helped my back, hips, knees, legs, ankles and feet was to visit “Good Feet” (you can Google them). Consistently wearing their arch supports distributes my weight evenly throughout each foot and corrects everything from the ground up. This has made such a difference, no matter what shoe/flat/boot/bootie/heel I wear and improves stability regardless of terrain or activity. It’s a bit pricey but I highly recommend “Good Feet” – I am amazed!!!

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