Precerpt from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary: 🐒 Jungle Gym Mode Activated
Sometime during every day, training involves two giggling weights—ages three and four—who believe I am part swing set, part superhero. I crouch, I lift, I swing them high into the air like they’re feather-light joy bombs over and over and over and over again. They squeal. I brace. My rotator cuff whispers, “Ma’am, this is not in the manual.”
But I do it anyway. Because this is the kind of strength that matters:
- Not just lat engagement, but legacy engagement
- Not just core stability, but emotional stability
- Not just grip strength, but the strength to hold joy aloft
I’ve learned to bend my knees, engage my hips, and let my scapulae do the talking. I’ve learned that laughter weighs less than physics would suggest. And I’ve learned that even a shoulder with history can still be a launchpad for delight—if I listen, warm up, and swing wisely.
Later, I’ll do pendulum swings and scapular squeezes. But for now, I swung two small humans into the sky and called it cardio.
Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary: Entry filed. Shoulder iced. Heart full.
For all Grandmas using kids for cardio, here are some suggestions:
🐒 Swing-Safe Form for Human Jungle Gyms
🎯 Goal
To lift and swing children with joyful momentum, while protecting your rotator cuff, spine, and core—especially when doing it daily.
✅ Before You Swing: Warm-Up Ritual
- Pendulum swings (30 seconds): Let your arm hang and gently sway in circles to loosen the shoulder joint.
- Scapular squeezes (10 reps): Stand tall, squeeze shoulder blades together, hold for 3 seconds.
- Hip circles or gentle squats (10 reps): Activate glutes and hips—your true power source.
🏋️♀️ During the Swing: Form Cues
🧠 Think of it as conducting a joyful pendulum—not hoisting a kettlebell.
⏱ Duration & Reps
- 2–3 minutes per child is plenty
- 3–5 swings per set, then pause or switch games
🧊 After the Swing: Recovery Ritual
- Shoulder rolls (gentle, slow)
- Forearm plank on countertop (20 seconds)
- Topical support: Eternal Painless Cream or magnesium lotion
To read more precerpts from Grandma's Ninja Training Diary, click HERE.
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