Mariel Cigarra

If you don't have 20 minutes to set aside for this, you can also incorporate explosive power training throughout the day.

Standing up quickly from your desk chair, doing jumping jacks while your water boils, it all counts.

Remember, you don't want to push to the point of fatigue, though.

One thing I've thought about personally is how important explosive power is if you're playing some sort of sport.

So I play softball just in a rec league.

But the three big moves in the game are sprinting, hitting and throwing.

And those all seem to require explosive power.

Exactly.

And I know a lot of us are not.

It's not like we're professional athletes, but if you're playing in a rec league...

Maybe you want to improve and have a little more force behind your swing and also just not get injured.

Softball starts on Thursday, so I got to get ready.

Jessica, thank you so much for this.

Thank you.

Okay, time for a recap.

Takeaway one, we tend to lose explosive power as we age, especially after 40.

But training in your 20s and 30s is beneficial too because it helps you avoid injuries and preserve power later.

It can also help you be better at sports.

As for the how, it's not a good idea to jump right into the more intense explosive power training if you don't currently work out.

You'd want to get into an exercise routine first, doing regular cardio and resistance training for three months.