The old adage that tells us Father Time is undefeated is an undeniable fact. UGH. I’m inclined to be frustrated by this as much as the next guy, but in an attempt to focus on the things within my control, I’ll move on from the pity party and get to the point.  

As we age, our body naturally starts to drop in vitality on a cellular level. That’s why there’s such a distinct difference between the way you felt in your early, roaring twenties to how you feel when you’re, let’s say, a little bit past that zone. We can adapt how and why we train to account for this difference. That’s not to say that you can no longer do what you did when you were younger. In fact, I think you can. However, our approach and the manner we go about it should shift.

Let’s use me and an example. Let’s use me as an example. In my estimation, assuming I am able to avoid any unforeseen incident, I will live until I’m 140 years old (that’s only another 50 years for those of you keeping track). With that in mind, I know that my joints have a shelf life that’s due to expire before my own expiration date. So, I treat my joints like car tires and avoid putting tons of milage on them because I want to keep some tread on these bad boys. 

I also need to focus on supporting my activities with what might seem like excessive stretching and maintenance to ensure my body is receiving proper recovery and rest. Again, this is significantly more recovery than I needed years ago. My nutritional focus as I age is hydration (good for this glowing skin, too) and supplementing my body with nutrients which are depleting resources as I age (more on this in a future newsletter).

Another shift we have to make is in our mindset and approach to wellness and our bodies. We need to think about what activities we are doing now that will pay off large dividends for our future selves. An investment in our well being is a cost that we will never regret. So, I always seek out the most optimal way to do things and ask myself why I’m doing them. For example, I don’t look to lift heavy weights as frequently as I might have in a former life. Do I really need to be able to back squat 400 pounds loaded on my spine? Probably not. Will I be better served to do a single leg squat, with some load and a focus on balance and stability? Probably, especially knowing we lose balance and stability as we age. Think through the risks, rewards, and why you’re moving in certain ways. Movements that support life and function go a long way.

Furthermore, your body is one chain, and if there is a kink in that chain it’s not a matter of if but when that chain pops and leaves you with an injury. So if you have tight hips, fix them now, because it will only get harder the longer you wait. We can start engaging with our body more productively by proactively matching our movements to the activities we want to sustain in the future.

Here are three keys to consider to get you started:

• WORKOUT TO RECOVERY RATIO: We have to make sure we’re allowing our bodies to recover and rest in proportion to your age. Right now, you may need a 1:1 ratio, meaning if you train 60 minutes in a day you also set aside 60 minutes of mobility and stretching. As you get older, like me, you may need to increase the ration to 1:1.5, meaning more recovery than training.
• LOW IMPACT ALTERNATIVES: There are different ways of achieving the same goal. For my cardio enthusiasts, you don’t have continue torquing away on a spin bike or pounding the pavement with tons of mileage. My favorite alternatives are water rowing, versa climbers, and ellipticals.
• MOVEMENT PATTERNS THAT SUPPORT AGING: Focusing on mobility and balance will go a long way. I know that some you are reading that and thinking “that sucks, not doing that” and I get it, sometimes it’s boring. But it’s so essential. Focusing on the small muscle groups that support the big prime movers is a smart way to go. Functional core work (not crunches), core stability, upper and mid back stability are all a good start, especially for us desk jockeys.

There are tons of approaches, or as they say, multiple ways to skin a cat (I actually don’t know why you would want to skin a cat, let alone do it different ways, but alas that’s not my analogy. I digress.) If you take anything away from this newsletter, please be mindful and think long term about your body. Thinking long term in your training will allow you to continue to be a present and active participant in your own life.