When it comes to Functional Fitness I am referring to “The Lost Generation” as males and females ages 30 and below.  This is the generation were physical education was taken out of the High Schools, it went coed in the Junior High Schools, and the elementary schools are overwhelmed with kids burning out in organized sports.  When the Lost Generation reaches their twenties they have no concept of personal health and fitness, so when their bodies should be muscled and fit they are soft, fat, and weak.

It has been an interesting spectacle to watch youth sports and fitness change over the past twenty years.  The kids begin organized sports at the age of 4 and 5 years old, by playing soccer and t-ball.  Then it evolves into volleyball, lacrosse and youth football.  When the kids reach the mature age of 10 or 11 they must make a choice on which sport will be their year round sport. The reason being is to excel in this day and age you must play year round to keep up with all the other kids.  What a lie.  They have no clue what a sand lot game is, or a pick-up game is because everything is highly organized and structure.  This works great for the parents but really isn’t healthy for the kids.

So the grind begins.  Everybody has to play in tournaments and this requires playing 2 to 4 games in a weekend.  You must practice three days a week and of course on your off time you need your personal trainer.  The nights are filled with homework and stress.  There is no time to eat right and rest and so begins the downward fall of their future physical fitness level.  If they continue to the ripe old age of 13 or 14 years old they will begin to enjoy stress fractures in their growth plates, Tommy John elbow surgery, plus a few ACL knee surgeries along the way. They will be totally burned out by High School and they will have no foundation for the need of any Functional Fitness program and hence we now have “the Lost Generation.”  What do they look like in the weight room when they reach their twenties?  Read part 2 on our next post.

Common Mistakes For Beginners In Table TennisFunctional-Fitness-the-lost-generation