The definition of Kinesthetic relates to a person’s awareness of the position and movement of the parts of the body by means of sensory organs.
I wasn’t a kinesthetic learner in childhood as I didn’t prefer to move around and explore. I was more of a visual learner. My hobbies were to read and listen to music but never did I want to learn a sport. I would read and learn and that’s how I am to date.
I became a fitness freak in my late 20’s when I started putting on weight. I used to be a regular at the gym. I enjoyed my time sweating it out. But then marriage happened, motherhood happened, change of cities and various other factors led to a discontinuation of my exercise routine at the gym. I did restart it but haven’t been regular now.
Though I love watching sports I never learnt any in my younger days. Since the past couple of years, I get to witness many swimming competitions since my daughter also participates. Just recently over the weekend, I witnessed one of the best performance of young girls and boys of Mumbai city. The energy around was exhilarating. Everyone was full of energy and the atmosphere around was extremely thrilling.
Taking up a sport builds many skills in a child. When my daughter was a toddler, I observed she was a kinesthetic learner and so she started enjoying swimming at the age of three. After being into competitive swimming for the past 3 years and it has been a great learning experience for her.
You can read my post on 10 Skills That Competitive Sport Develops In A Child
Yes, so that is about how sports help build skills in children but there is never an age to learn. Is it? Hence, before I approach midlife, I decided to train my body well.
I took up swimming on the insistence of my daughter. It helped me understand my body requirements. I also did high-intensity workout, cardio and weight training. I enjoyed it much as it filled me with a sense of accomplishment. Though a bit irregular this training has helped me understand my body requirements.
I plan to continue it in my 40’s too. Age affects the sense organs but if we have been regular with some kinesthetic activity, I am sure we can delay that as well.
I would want to be more kinesthetic in the years to come. There is a general assumption that we can’t take up high-intensity physical activity after a certain age. More so for women as low levels of Estrogen could lead to calcium deficiencies too. We believe that after a certain age we cannot be more kinesthetic. Or our body will respond adversely if we exert our physical capabilities. I am sure age does have a role to play. But there are a few inspiring marathon runners whose life experiences teach a lot about why age is just a number. And nothing is impossible.
I am sure many of you have read about Mr Fauja Singh. At the age of 100, Singh attempted and accomplished eight world age group records in one day, at the special Ontario Masters Association Fauja Singh Invitational Meet, held at Birchmount Stadium in Toronto, Ontario Canada. You can read here more about his accomplishments here: Wikipedia
Another exemplary woman Ms Barbara Hannah Grufferman took up marathon running at the age of 60 years. She took up training after menopause. After reading about her, it reaffirmed my faith that I can be a kinesthetic learner and use it to keep myself healthy and fit through midlife.
Read about Barbara’s journey of being a marathon runner. Huffington Post
I am sure inspirational people like Fauja Singh and Barbara will also provide you with the much-needed motivation like it did to me.
“The Body will offer up solutions that the mind alone cannot. “
– Dr Sue