In his new Netflix special ‘Acting my Age,’ Kevin Hart expertly characterizes an issue that plagues us as we age: we want to be able to move and control our bodies to have fun moving around like we once did, but we do not prioritize lifelong movement, leaving us at risk of injury from what should be standard movement.
Movement can and should be part of our lives as long as we live. We can keep moving accessible if we take time to understand how our bodies work.
Tearing Your Adductors at 45 Really Adds Up
Kevin Hart begins the special by (as you might expect) not acting his age. At least, not acting how we societally expect someone his age to act.
Kevin describes how he challenged Stevan Ridley, a friend of his and former NFL running back, to a 40-yard dash. This humorous challenge, more akin to a schoolyard smackdown than a high-achieving adult activity, disguises the severity of the outcome (all too common to adult fitness).
As Kevin nears the race, he identifies warning signals that something bad was impending. Instead of stretching like his counterpart, Kevin does a few movements around and instead focuses on his aerodynamics.
The race begins, and, of course, he’s losing. As Kevin pushes to catch up, he lands and immediately senses something is wrong.
Kevin later reveals that he tore both adductors on one leg, leaving him wheelchair bound for 6 weeks.
Injuries Aren’t Just Left for the Big Race
Beyond describing the whole ordeal and recovery process, Kevin discusses his mentality post-injury, and how he acts now that he’s “old”.
He describes walking slowly down stairs now and recounts a time when he missed a few steps and landed on his heel.
Kevin uses these experiences to highlight our shifting durability as we age and his mindset transition toward keeping safe. This is most clear though his description of playing basketball with a young kid and amazement with how the youth player rolled his ankle to the point that his ankle hit the court and was still happy to keep playing.
However, it points to a bigger issue. We aren’t taught to keep our bodies moving as we age. Instead, we’re expected to either figure it out or live in caution (especially if we are trying to move post-injury).
We Should Avoid Risky Actions, But Life Comes With Movement
To live without regard for potential injury is a recipe for disaster.
A lot of the best extreme athletes push through despite danger, and that can result in amazing feats. However, it is just as likely to result in severe (and even disabling) injuries.
That being said, we need to learn how to move so we can do it more freely. Otherwise, we will fear movement as we age, resulting in less activity and increased risk of injury.
Movement Should Be Fun
Central to Kevin Hart’s new special is the tension between partaking and fun activities and the ever present risk of injury.
Kevin wants to be able to race his friends (something I’m sure most all of us did as kids), and is severely injured. He wants to play basketball, and can’t help but notice people rolling their ankles and the delicate nature of the body. Kevin can’t even take on the stairs without tuning into how easy it is to fall and take yourself out of action.
Movement can be and should be fun. If we want our ability to move to be fun, we have to work on understanding our bodies and basic movement. This should take place in the form of working out, as well as regular tests to understand our movement and how everything feels.
We Have Powerful, Adaptable Bodies Waiting to Learn
While it is common to discredit adult bodies as old and no longer meant to move, we possess incredible systems that are capable of movement throughout our lifetimes.
Our bodies are able to run, jump, crouch, and train themselves to accomplish advanced movements. These bodies can sense their weaknesses use surrounding muscle groups and structures to compensate for movement limitations. They are without a doubt incredible systems, and we are born with our own to customize that stays with us throughout our lifetimes.
If we want to best use our bodies and maintain an active lifestyle throughout our adulthood, we must take time to understand how we can move. When walking, take a little bit of time and think about how it feels when you lift one leg forward and drive off with the other. When you jump, think about how you press off the ground and how your feet orchestrate the landing.
Conclusion
When we spend time to study how we move, we learn to move better. We are not made of glass, and can become durable bodies if we give ourselves the opportunity to learn. However, we must always treat ourselves with respect and care, because we only get these bodies and they’re not always easy to fix when they break.
Kevin Hart’s ‘Acting My Age’ should serve as a warning for those who don’t think studying movement is important as an adult. If we don’t take time to learn how our bodies work and continuously study them, we set ourselves up for injury.
As always, I hope you find what motivates you to keep moving smoothly and take care of yourself. It was nice to see Kevin Hart moving on stage after hearing of his injury, and I hope his story serves as a call to check in on our bodies now while they’re still in moving shape.
Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate!
-G
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