Feb 19, 2020
Since most of you listening to this show are either in your forties or getting close, I thought it would make for a great show if I shared some actionable ideas on how to get fit and stay there.
Age is just a number and I honestly believe that, but the fact is that our bodies don't do what once did and many of us are dealing with aches, pains, past injuries, and tight muscles.
It's part of the aging process to some extent but the larger factor is how we've lived our lives up until this point.
Many of us have spent years or decades sitting at a desk, driving long commutes, and living a relatively sedentary lifestyle.
And that sh*t adds up!
So today I talk about 6 specific things you can do to combat the effects of an old, tired body and start feeling better than you have in years.
1. After middle age, men lose roughly 3% of their muscle mass
every year, on average. It's called sarcopenia and can affect your
quality of life and even shorten life expectancy. To stop or even
reverse this, prioritize strength training. Most men will be just
fine with a full body strength program 3-4 days a week coupled with
a few days of conditioning. Unless you’re a former elite athlete or
body builder, this is plenty. Focus on compound movements using
basic push/pull/squat/hinge/carry. Body weight training works very
well also.
2. Do dedicated mobility work, foam rolling, get regular
massages, and always warm up before every workout. Move as much as
possible. Sit as little as possible.
3. Reevaluate your lifestyle. Decades of sitting and inactivity
have wreaked havoc on your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They
say sitting is the new smoking and I believe it. Get active ASAP
but ease into it. Check your ego at the door and train smarter not
harder.
4. Read your body. Your body isn't the same one you had in
college. You can get as fit as you want, have 6 pack abs if you
want, and feel 25 again if you want, but you have to work with the
body you've been abusing for the last 20 years. Trying to pick up
where you left off will often lead to injuries, pulls, and
strains.
5. Get your annual exams. Check your blood work and testosterone
levels. Low T is a real issue and can greatly affect your ability
to gain muscle and lose fat. We are almost all deficient in
nutrients because the typical American diet sucks. Take a high
quality multivitamin and maybe a fish oil supplement.
6. How you feel is directly related to how you live. Diet, exercise, stress management, sleep, hydration, and recovery are all huge parts of this. Pay attention to each one, not just one or two.
We can choose to improve the quality of our lives at any time. We just need to be willing to change, pay attention to the basics, and be consistent with the fundamentals of good health.