In my 27 years of training, I’ve seen many students forced off the mat because of injuries, poor health, and diminished mobility. Just as concerning, too many aikidoka go from young and strong to stiff, overweight, and in pain, reducing the quality of their practice.
Aikido is a uniquely sophisticated art, and as such it requires many years of focused training to understand its depths. One of O-Sensei’s longtime students, Kanshu Sunadomari once said something along the lines of, “When I reached 50, I really felt like I was getting good. At 60, I realized I had reached a whole new level. Now, at 70, I understand more than I could have ever imagined.”
With age our bodies change, but if we learn to take good care of ourselves we should be able to train for a lifetime.
Below are some of the tools, methods, and concepts that have helped me stay healthy and continue my training. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list, but it’s what’s working for me now. I am not an expert, though after nearly three decades on the mat I experience less joint pain, am more flexible, and get sick less often than I did when I was in my 20s.
I hope you find something here that helps you enjoy your practice a little more and a little longer.
Eat Well
This means different things to different people, but whatever you put into your mouth becomes you, so make sure it’s good. Many of us put on weight as we age, but for Aikido practitioners this added weight becomes a big stressor on our knees, hips, and back. Whatever/however you eat, keep an eye on your weight and you’ll feel better for it.
There are a seemingly endless number of diets and methods of eating out there. I suspect most of us know what food and eating habits make us feel best. My advice is to listen to your body and do what’s right for you.
If you haven’t heard of it, I love the hara hachi bu approach to eating. The concept is that you only eat until you’re 80% full. I’m not perfect about eating in moderation, but this concept has been a good reference point to help me get back to eating well if I’m not being mindful about food.
The biggest dietary shift I’ve made in the past decade is actually what I don’t eat. Two years ago my doctor noticed that my cholesterol was creeping up to unsafe levels—a trait that runs in my family. I’d do just about anything to avoid taking pills, so I started doing some research and learned about intermittent fasting.
I tried a couple of different approaches and settled on not eating from Sunday night to Monday afternoon. When I went back to my doctor after a year of intermittent fasting, my bloodwork showed that my LDL dropped by 28 points and my HDL went up nine. Works for me. It may take some trial and error to find the right method for you, but giving your body a break from food now and then really is great.
Stay Loose
In my teens and twenties, I skateboarded, biked, and snowboarded without ever stretching. As a result I ended up with great balance, strong legs, and tight muscles. The regular stretching we do in Aikido is good preparation for our daily keiko, but is insufficient for increasing flexibility.
During the dark days of Covid I developed the habit of stretching daily. Since then, I have made significant gains in my static flexibility, experience fewer aches and pains (especially my knees and hips), and managed to stave off that horrible middle-aged feeling of struggling to reach things on the floor.
I don’t do a single type of stretching practice, but have developed a routine that works for me which is a combination of gravity yoga, static stretches, and a method O-Sensei followed called makko-ho (which you may recognize as part of the warm-up routine done at Hombu Dojo even today).
My biggest suggestion is that you find a way to work stretching into your daily routine. I’m a busy person and need to unwind now and then, so I bribe myself by stretching while I watch shows on Netflix. Nothing profound, but hey, it works for me.
Gadgets, Toys, and Devices
If you don’t have a massage gun, buy one now. They feel good, help you heal faster, and are a great way for smoothing out the aches and pains of daily life. For the past three years I’ve spent five minutes every morning working my way from my neck down to the bottoms of my feet, and I’m better for it. There are dozens of these devices on the market. Do your research, but my one recommendation is to buy a brushless massage gun for quieter use and more mellow vibes.
Here’s a cheap and easy one—roll your foot on a tennis or lacrosse ball. One minute per foot feels great and can help with ankle mobility, plantar fasciitis, and keeping feet flexible for suwariwaza. If you have a standing desk (short version: sit sometimes, stand sometimes, and move around occasionally), leave a ball nearby and roll on it whenever you could use a little break.
Lastly, for injuries, tight muscles, and stuck fascia, a gua sha tool is great. I first had this done by my massage therapist, and it helped me get some lumpy-bumpy places unstuck. From there, I bought my own gua sha stone online and use it regularly to free up whatever part of me needs some attention.
Final Thoughts
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the thought of trying to do all these different things to stay healthy, put your mind at ease. Self-care doesn’t need to be another task in your daily life. Find one or two things that sound appealing or address an issue you’re having right now and give them a try. When you take care of yourself you are rewarded two-fold: first, you feel better now, and second, you now know how to manage issues as they come up later in life.
Take a deep breath, check in with yourself, and show your body a little love with some self-care.