Around 6 months ago I almost asked myself “Are you too old?” Last winter I went to the mountains with my family. Several days of incredible skiing and spending quality time with my family.
It was also a rough one on the body.
That’s what I’m going to talk about today.
Physical activity is great, but by the end of the weekend, I had more aches, pains, bumps, and bruises than I anticipated.
Close to 20,000 vertical meters of skiing over 3 days definitely took its toll on my body.
Let’s just say that going up stairs afterward was more of a challenge than usual.
It’s true that I’m no longer a spring chicken, and my 47-year-old body doesn’t recover as fast as it used to.
Most people would just say (and several did), “Well, you are getting older”, or “Age is a bummer” and “Are you too old?”
This is a slippery slope of thinking that hides the truth behind age-related changes in health, fitness, and performance.
Alas, it’s true…We all definitely age.
Natural age-related changes in our bodies are inevitable.
The great news is that these “inevitable natural declines” are much LESS than we think.
The largest changes in our health, fitness, and performance come from changes to our LIFESTYLE and HABITS!
That’s right. MOST of these changes are preventable if we want them to be.
After lamenting the aches and pains, I started to bellyache (in my head) about getting old.
It was at this point where I put my performance coach hat on and gave myself a swift (figurative) smack upside the head to remind myself that I haven’t been putting in the work needed to perform at the level I was asking of my body.
It was a great reminder to me that it’s time to get back to following my own advice.
This includes blocking off (and sticking to) time for more specific physical training.
Clients are often shocked that I don’t work out for hours every day like some robot.
I don’t…and I don’t expect clients to.
What I do expect is that your actions reflect your goals.
That you do the RIGHT things, in the CORRECT way, and do them CONSISTENTLY.
Compared to 20 years ago, I’m in a different phase of life with different goals and areas that I’m focusing my energy on.
Unfortunately, for the past year or two, my actions haven’t properly matched my recreational aspirations.
Sure, I’ve still been quite active, but not as much as usual, and not in the ways that set me up for success in my leisure pursuits.
The great part is that I’m aware of it.
Experiencing these aches was another important reminder of the gap in my reality and expectations. Most importantly, that I’M in CONTROL of my ability to change it!
This is a point that few people reach.
Failing to get to this point (and take action on it) is how people end up 10, 20, 30 years down the road of a sedentary lifestyle and wonder what happened.
They resign themselves to the fact that they are “old”, or to social norms of what “people their age” should or should not be doing.
Other people think that “it’s too late to start”, or “I’m scared to get injured”.
A lot can be written about these points. I will sum it up in a single sentence.
Health and fitness are beneficial at ANY age. It can be improved at any age and provides the best results when you start small. Challenge your limits slowly and consistently over time.
There you have it.
It’s not rocket science, You probably already knew it…but are you DOING it? Consistently?
If not, it’s time to start.
Remember, “fitness” is relative based on where you are starting and what your goals are. Find out each, and then put a smart plan in place.
Need help doing that?
My team and I would love to help out. Contact us here to get started! Our experienced life coaches will guide you in your journey of health and fitness, regardless of your age!
