Fit Past Forty

What makes us different in response to exercise as we age?

Is it that our bodies simply don’t have the same potential as when we were younger? Is it the accumulation of inactivity (or, at least, reduced activity)? Is it the wear and tear of long years of training too hard or inefficiently? Is it the diminishing returns of an unbalanced program and inadequate recovery time?

The answer is that all these factors can play a role. But the good news is that we have more control over the equation than we may believe. And the formula to find out how true that is for you is actually pretty simple. You can be in better shape in your 40s and beyond than you were in high school, and in just a few hours a week. It’s not complicated, but it takes commitment.

Sounds improbable? Why don’t more people do it? Here are some of the reasons I observe in my work that we “mature” people miss out on this great opportunity:

1. We spend our time doing physically inactive things we think are more important.

2. Most exercise programs are poorly structured, badly executed and largely ineffective.

3. Inertia – the more you move, the more you want to move; the same goes for moving less.

4. We buy the bill of goods that we’re supposed to be less vital as we grow older.

5. We become spoiled and fearful, reluctant to move out of our comfort zone or try something we’re not already good at, so we only exercise sporadically and without conviction or consistency.

6. We think of eating as anything but fuel for our machine; which is the role it plays for athletes.

7. As we grow older, we need more time to ramp up our level of challenge and to recover from tough workouts, so we get discouraged when we overdo it and chalk it up to inevitable achievement limitations associated with aging.

How’s that for starters? Any of these conditions sound familiar? All of them?

So now you know where to start. Dump the self-imposed boundaries and the limiting misconceptions, and make the adjustments you need to allow for the realities you now have a better understanding about.

How many things do you do because you want to, versus the number of things you do because you feel you have to? Is it a pretty small ratio?

Guess who has the opposite ratio?

Kids.

Wealthy people who are not defined by their wealth.

Peaceful souls who love life and appreciate their blessings.

Entrepreneurs who think of success as a game and failure as a learning opportunity.

When did you get so scared?

If you want to be in great shape, feel fantastic and look terrific, you have to want to do the things that will get you there. That means you look forward to pushing yourself, working hard and getting sweaty. It means you enjoy planning, preparing, choosing and eating healthful food.

Until you reach that point, you won’t sustain the effort, no matter what the anticipated rewards might be. Stop looking at living a healthful lifestyle like cleaning out the garage or doing your taxes. Stop acting old, and grow up.

Lecture over.

Now, how do you start? A gym membership is an option, if you know how to structure and execute a safe, effective, balanced program that fits your profile. The next option is to join a program that is designed to best serve a 40+ physically active demographic. It’s also ideal if the program is run by 40+ experienced, nationally certified exercise professionals. Ours is but there are other good ones in the area as well.

Finally, it might be best, should your checkbook and schedule accommodate, to go with personal training. There’s a reason sessions with skilled trainers go for $50 – 100+ an hour: They get their clients in great shape without hurting them in the process. More importantly, they teach you what you need to know to manage the whole spectrum of a healthful lifestyle. Think that’s not worth the money?

You pay for great tax and legal guidance. You even pay for a professional to keep your plumbing in working order. How important is your body to you?

Fortunately the Tri Valley is a great location with many terrific trainers. Here’s a primer on how to find the one that fits for you.

So, what are you waiting for? Your 50th (or 60th) birthday?

Make today the day that everything changes.

Want to learn more about how to be your best at and beyond? You can reach Dan at Tri Valley Trainer.