Do I really need to lift things up and put them down?

By Coach Laura Henry

Whether you run, bike, swim, hike, walk, play soccer in the backyard with the kids, or work a physical job, strength training is something that can benefit you.  Our daily lives are comprised of thousands of repetitive actions that put strain on our bodies. Most of the time, our bodies can adapt to these strains, which is how we get stronger over time.  But since a lot of our lives are the same physical actions day in and day out (think running, picking up boxes or bags of groceries, holding kids, etc.), we tend to use some muscles more than others, which can cause some imbalances or weaknesses.  Eventually, those imbalances or weaknesses can manifest as pain or even worse - full-blown injuries.

Enter strength training.  Strength training helps strengthen the entire body, but its real power comes in strengthening the muscles that we neglect on a daily basis.  If all of the muscles in the body are given some attention, they work together better to help you do all of the things that you want to be able to do with more strength and less chance of injury or pain.

Our Fleet Feet X-Training (FFXT) class is a great way to experience strength training in a supportive, non-intimidating environment.  There isn’t any gym equipment that you’re left on your own to figure out how to use. The class size is small, so I can check on your form, which ensures that you’re getting the most out of each exercise.  Over the course of the ten-week program, the exercises progress from foundational movements to more advanced ones so that you can continually change the stimulus that you are giving your body so it becomes stronger.  You know how you get bored doing the same thing over and over and over again? Your body and muscles are exactly the same as your brain - they get bored if you always do the same thing. In order to get the most out of any training program, you need to vary the stimulus to achieve optimal results.  

FFXT meets on Monday evenings at Fleet Feet Syracuse - DeWitt and offers two time options - 5:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m.  Our next ten-week session begins on Monday, September 10. Want to see how strong you can really be? Join us for FFXT.

Let’s go.