As we settle down to watch the Olympics this summer in Paris, we won’t fail to notice the number of nations and athletes kitted out in the iconic three stripes of adidas. Much like with the footballers involved in Euro 2024. As a brand, adidas is synonymous with excellence, but adidas doesn’t only kit out Olympians and international football players. Everyday athletes like you and I can emulate our favouriite athletes and not just in how we dress, but also in our approach to training and keeping active.
Since starting this blog, I have been very lucky to have trained with and been coached by several World, Olympic and Paralympic Champions. From the very first with swimmer Robbie Renwick there has been a constant theme (no, not me being their “Star Pupil”, although that too is a constant). One of the keys to their success is to focus on incremental gains. Improving each element of their performance with the culmination of improvements taking them to podium finishes.
And this is how I (and you, should you choose) can improve your health. We might not end up on a podium, but we might enjoy a longer and healthier life.
By taking small steps, I am aiming to regain my fitness, slow down my aging, and prepare for an active and enjoyable retirement (yes, it’s a long term project).
In the past 3 months, I have lost 20lbs, improved my sleep, and slowly reduced my knee pain. I’ve written about how I have improved my sleep, and in future blogs I will write more about some of the other measures I am taking and some of the experiments I am undertaking. I’m not quite Bryan Johnson, but I share his belief in testing and evaluating protocols.
But today it is all about how I have prepared and made changes
My first step was to take more steps. Knee pain has limited my walking but I have tried to add more steps to my day. I have to learn to walk before running again (yes, I have decided that one of my goals is to start running again). Maybe not another marathon (have I ever mentioned that I have ran a marathon?), but I’d love to be able to just lace up and head out for a wee run. And I will!
Reducing my knee pain has been my priority with a consistent approach to my physio prescribed exercises. I am not sure if or when I will be pain free again but as time passes and weight drops, the pain does feel less (or I am maybe becoming habitualised to the pain).
I’m also booking an appointment with a podiatrist as my shorter right leg and my fallen arches possibly require some orthotics. With this in mind, I reviewed my shoes and noted the worn away soles adding to my supination.
While I have drastically reduced my obsession with running shoes and now try to limit my purchases, adidas kindly gifted me a pair of adidas Response CL shoes which even my boys approve of. It might be a placebo effect, but walking does feel better. With a sturdy build and a scuff resistant Cordura finish, I have picked these to last.
For the gym, confidence has been an issue for me. I know that nobody is looking at me or cares about what I am doing or how I look, but I do feel better when I am dressed appropriately. And dressed appropriately usually means simply wearing some breathable and loose fitting and belly covering tracksuits. I am partially fond of my adidas tiro tracktop. In a stylish and slimming (I tell myself) black, it’s my go to top.
I am going 3 times a week and focusing on all over body strength and cardio. Usually 30 – 40 minutes resistance training and 20 minutes on a bike. I have a longer term plan, but I am focusing on my weaknesses first.
I have also adressed my diet and reintroduced a few protocols which have worked for me before, The recent passing of Dr. Mosley was a somber moment, but his legacy lives on in the 5:2 diet that he popularized and which I am using as part of an Intermittent Fasting (IF) approach. Two days of mindful eating, five days of culinary freedom (well, maybe not complete freedom) is working for me.
I am also keeping myself more hydrated and with the upcoming #PlasticFreeJuly (see my other new blog this week) I am making use of my gym and work water fountains. Whenever I feel hungry, I check if drinking some water helps, and so far this is proving to be an effective strategy.
Success won’t come down to any one of these things, but together and in combination to my other protocols. I am seeing progress and with consistency I can lay the foundation for the future. We cannot all be Olympians but we can all adopt the tools and techniques that will give us healthier and happier lives. We just need to find our starting point, plan our race, and give it our best.
#gifted #adidasbloggercommunity