That's the same in college. It's the same in high school. Kids are getting bigger, stronger, faster, more into the weightlifting, more into nutrition, more into size.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
The older you get, the easier it is to get injured. But what I've learned the hard way is that the more excess weight you have, the more likely you are to get injured doing everyday things.
By the time I was 15 and I stepped in the high school gym, I was just stronger than everybody.
The big difference for me is that, as I get older, I find it's a lot easier to stay in shape than it is to get back in shape.
I mean, everyone walks into the gym on day one skinny or fat. Arnold Schwarzenegger walked into the gym skinny at 15 or 16, and I was that way, too.
We all know that girls who compete in sports perform better in school, are physically healthier and have a stronger self-esteem.
I find the older I get, the lower in weight I go. It's harder to recover. Living in New York City, working a job that is unpredictable and at times stressful, you're lifting way more than your max because you need to push some weight around. You put an extra plate on for the release, and then you're sore the next week. Its stress release.
There have been periods of my life when I was heavier, like right after high school I definitely gained that freshman 15. It was tough to lose. Ever since then, I know that I can gain weight, so I try to be careful.
I always had this perception that when you lift weights, you're going to get bulky and thick. I didn't realize you actually burn a lot of fat and that it trims you down.
My mother was a P.E. teacher, and she was kind of a fanatic about fitness and nutrition growing up, so it was ingrained in me at a young age. As I get older, I'm finding out it's not about getting all buffed up and looking good. It's more about staying healthy and flexible.
You increase muscle bulk by training against resistance. For example, weights. And in ballet, this isn't the case.