ABC'S Please

(Originally published in WOW, Sept 2021) I recently took a course for SilverSneakers training and learned an acronym that can be very beneficial for any athletic endeavor as well as activities for daily living.?It is “ABC’s Please”.??Although acquiring and maintaining the skills may not be as easy as ABC’s, it is an easy acronym to remember; agility, balance, coordination, stability, and power.

Agility is your ability to move and react quickly.?Any activities that require you to change your movement or direction quickly fall into that category.?If a cup is about to fall from a countertop, and you move quickly to catch it, that reaction requires agility.?If you stumble over a crack in the sidewalk and manage to keep yourself from falling, or a tennis ball coming toward you and coordinating the body, hand, and racket to hit the ball all require agility.?Moves like a grapevine in a ZUMBA class or drills using cones can help to improve your agility.

Balance is a key component to staying upright.?Many people don’t consider the significance of balance when simply walking.?Each time you take a step, you balance your body weight on one leg, then the other.?Not only is balance a function of a strong core, strong hips, knees, and ankle joints, and strong muscles, it is connected to other things like vision and the vestibular system of the inner ear.?The visual system and vestibular system work together to send signals from the eye muscle to the balance system in the inner ear.???

Coordination helps you to move different body parts under control at the same time.?This is required in any sport, but it is also beneficial for walking and running efficiently.?Coordination is linked to the part of the brain called the cerebellum.?It is a function of our ability to process information quickly and respond with control.

The stability of our spine, hips and other joints are essential for injury prevention.?Strengthening muscles to help support ligaments and tendons helps to keep the body balanced and control.?

Power is necessary to hit a golf ball, shoot a jump shot, or row at top speed, but it is also necessary for lifting up out of a chair.?You must have a combination of strength and speed to have power.

Include ABC’s Please in your fitness regimen to enhance any sport and also for daily life.