I don’t know about you but if ever I am asked to recall years of my youth in P.E. class, (which oddly comes up every now and then) I have many, many less than fond memories of that class.
I wasn’t the athletic type and certainly didn’t know much about sports. I was more of the hang out and read a book type. That led to not only mental frustration but also some physical pain when I went into P.E. class. They expected me to run, jump and play like everyone else. But my body, as lanky as it was just didn’t do things the same way. In fact, I remember a time in junior high when we had a wrestling coach for our P.E. teacher and we spent the entire class performing different jumps. From jumping jacks, to burpees, to ski hops and so much more. It was grueling to say the least. And I probably don’t have to tell you that he didn’t do a single one. I learned a few things that day:
Yup, it was an awful day but later in life, it brought me some extra empathy and clarity to help people learn to jump better. Jumping is a skill that, while not necessarily needed everyday, is useful for some situations and if you have kiddos, well, it’s expected. So today I wanted to show you a better way to jump that will lessen the joint pain you may have experienced in the past and will also provide strength building through the lower body. |
