7 Ways to Improve This Area of Your Fitness You’re Neglecting

There is one area that I can almost guarantee that you’re neglecting in your fitness. The area I’m referring to is reaction time. You may be thinking, “What the heck is reaction time?!” Basically, reaction time is how quickly your body can react and move as it needs to.

We’ve all seen kids at a playground that trip over their feet, step on their shoelaces while running, or hit a small pebble on the sidewalk while riding their skateboard which propels them forward. Oftentimes, kids are able to “catch” themselves immediately before they fall. In other words, while they may lose their balance, their feet are able to move quickly enough for them to stay on their feet.

You may not be riding a skateboard anytime soon, but you do venture out everyday to a world full of mini-obstacles such as stairs, curbs, uneven pavement, and possibly the occasional tripping over your feet (Am I the only one who still does this?).

The bad news is that as each year passes, you lose reaction time making you more susceptible to a fall that could lead to an injury – an injury as minor as a bruise, or more severe as in a broken wrist or ankle.

One more bit of bad news:

Your local big box gym is not designed to help improve your reaction time. I was a personal trainer for 15 years and spent countless hours in big box gyms lined with rows and rows of expensive equipment like treadmills, bikes, ellipticals rowing machines, and hundreds of machines that target every muscle of your body in isolation. If you’re wondering why this might be a bad thing, it’s because none of these movements help you improve your reaction time.

BUT, the good news is that there’s something you can do about it! I came up with 7 Ways Women in Midlife Can Improve Their Reaction Time:

1. Build your strength
   The more muscle you have, the faster you’ll move, which leads to #2:
2. Move hard/challenge yourself when you exercise
   Putting forth your best effort when you exercise will recruit more muscle fibers during training, which positively translates to quicker movement when you need it out in the world.
3. Get the optimal amount of quality sleep (7.5 – 8.5 hours per night)
   Your brain functions at its best when it’s well rested. Our brain needs to be alert in order to tell our muscles to move our body to catch ourselves before a fall.
4. Play tag with your kids, grandkids, or nieces and nephews
   Getting out of the gym and into the park with some kids (or better yet, some fellow friends!) and playing some sort of “tag” game will help you improve your movement quality as you react unexpectedly while you play. Plus, it’s fun!
5. Take a dance class
   Dancing is a great way to teach your body improved coordination and new movements. What kind of dance have you always wanted to try?
6. Find sports where you have to change direction
   Tennis and racquetball are great sports that make you react and change direction quickly. What sports would be fun for you to try?
7. Practice your balance
   The better balance you have by working on it, the less likely you’ll lose it! Yoga, hiking on various terrains, and riding a bike, for example, all help with your overall balance. What creative ways can you think of to improve your balance?

Wishing you joyful health in your 50’s,
Kim