If you, like JC & I (now nearing 60), have been envisioning to be hiking up a mountain, skiing, picking up and playing with grandkids, or running (or at least briskly walking) up stairs when you are 80. Then we needed to be very, very fit and healthy in our 30’s and 40’s as well as right now.
And if you weren’t or aren’t now (or maybe you are since you are our clients), we still have to keep working on our fitness and health right now, particularly if your goal is to be active later.
If it’s not your goal and you want to go into your latter years doing short walks around the block, being quite sedentary, struggling to get up out of your chair. Or having your grown up children picking up your grandchildren for you and putting them on your knees (because you can’t) then keep doing what you’re doing – BUT this is not for us!
It came to me as a bit of a shock to be honest when I realised after reading Outlive by Peter Attia just HOW fit I need to be able to live the lifestyle I want into my 80’s & 90’s. As I said JC and I want to be hiking, skiing, bounding up stairs and throwing our (maybe) grandkids up in the air (just to hear them giggle!). We also want to be digging in our veggie patch, easily doing our housework and getting up off the floor should we fall.
Not bragging, I am a PT after all it’s my job but I love feeling strong and I am strong for my age. I’m pretty fit both in muscle strength, my body fat is well within the healthy range and I’m hoping aerobically though this is not my strength. And my biological age is 15 years younger than I am. However, it stopped me in my tracks to reassess what I need to be doing now, so I can be doing the things I want in my latter years.
You may well be asking, what are Linda & JC going to be doing? JC is better at this than me, but I am upping my training – to be smart of course – I’m not rushing off to the gym 6 days a week. But I’ve reassessed my exercise program to be very purposeful. It’s 2-3 strength sessions a week which will often include lifting heavy weights, an intensity interval component and mobility exercises. A yoga or stretch session once a week and now we have Cosmo we will be walking every day. But as he grows I’ll add in some run/walks plus there will be bike rides, trail runs, hiking and skiing throughout the year.
If you like us, have grand plans or not-so-grand plans it is definitely not too late. ANY extra exercise we do if we have been doing very little or a fair amount is beneficial. THERE IS NO HEALTHIER PILL THAN EXERCISE! I’ll repeat that THERE IS NO HEALTHIER PILL THAN EXERCISE.
If you want to know more, then message us, this is what we do best, supporting others to be their best.