So I recently got back into running. ( I use the term “running” lightly fyi. 4 miles is a long run!!) I don’t necessarily enjoy running but I do feel great after I finish. For me, it seems to be how I can see results but again I don’t absolutely love it! I run because honestly if I don’t I fear that someday I just won’t be able too. Same with jumping...I do box jumps because I just don’t ever want to wake up and not be able to do them!
I have a client that is in her early 70’s. She recently challenged a 4 and 9 yr old to a jumping contest. She had to run down the hallway and leap over a 2-3 foot high laundry basket. So when she told me about this challenge we started working to improve her leaping and jumping. This took time but she was determined! Back to her in a second…..
Another client of mine was a lady in her mid 50’s and is in great condition. She plays tennis, runs, does yoga, bikes, hikes, you name it she can do it….. Except jump!
What do the two of them have in common? At some point they stopped jumping. (Just a coincidence it was jumping with both of them but then again how often do you jump?) And now their minds were holding them back from jumping. But why?
I asked both of them to squat down and jump up onto a low step. They both stepped up to the box, squatted down and nothing! You see it in their eyes for some reason they couldn’t!
Their brains have stopped them! But why? They both knew the reason they stalled was mental! They hadn’t jumped in so long they had forgotten how to do it! They were unconsciously scared to do it!
Both of them said that they hadn’t jumped in years but that they jumped when they were little all of the time! So why couldn’t they do it now? Why can little kids effortlessly stand and leap over the laundry basket but she couldn’t make it with a running start?
It is amazing how our brain works! How as we get older our brains stop us from doing things that might bring danger. Or what we appear as danger at least! It goes back to the don’t use it you lose it theory!
So can you overcome this? Well ya! Of course you can!
What did we do? I had them start slow and low! If they each just tried a box jump it never would have happened! Now remember too that there will be limits. Some people can jump only so high and as you age box jumping may not be reasonable but some form of it can be!
Even if it is just a few inches start there and once you are comfortable, raise the step!
With my clients we did this and eventually they both are jumping! The 70 year old is up to the highest level we have with an aerobics style step! She squats down, arms back, jumps and lands like she owns the step!
I won’t mention that the first time she did it I didn’t tell her that we went up a level! She started telling me a story and off she went! Mentally she wasn’t thinking about the step and so her mind didn’t stop her!
The other one we did the same thing and I believe today I saw her at the gym doing lateral hops over a short box!
So long story short. Think of something that you did as a child that you don’t do anymore and challenge yourself to do it again! Jumping rope, skipping, jumping, running……….
You never know it could be just like riding a bike;)