“Getting Old Sucks” Does it? Or does your approach to aging have some room for improvement?
As I approach 40, I am starting to hear a lot of people my age, and slightly older, talk about how “getting old sucks”. Each time I hear this it actually makes me mad! A bit extreme…maybe…. but I refuse to believe that getting older has to suck!
Why do so many of us assume that aging is why we have aches and pains, or why our muscles aren’t as strong, our eye sight is going, or we have less energy? It seems a shame that at a time in our lives where we are starting to have more financial freedom and the ability to really enjoy the important things in life (which I hear just keeps getting better!) our culture has decided that its ok to just accept that our bodies are in an inevitable decline.
Key to improved Fitness in your 40s and Beyond
I firmly believe that each of us can take control of our aging process and create a self-care plan that helps us age well. I personally feel healthier at 39 than I did all throughout my 20s. A big part of this comes from knowing myself, from learning from my previous lifestyle choices and taking action to make changes.
Here are the top 3 things that I have learned and applied that impact how my body feels and how much energy I have and my ability to be present and enjoy all the amazing stuff that is going on in the world around me:
1 . Sleep More!
Yes, straight forward, but taken for granted. I had my kids young and spent most of my twenties up at all hrs of the night changing diapers. If you weren’t changing diapers in your twenties, you probably were up all night doing other “fun” things! Everyone needs a different amount of sleep, but I find getting 9hrs each night works very well. In bed by 9:30-10pm, up at 6:30-7am. Sleep serves to reenergize the body’s cells, clear waste from the brain, and support learning and memory. Why not add a bit more time in your day for that!
Key takeaway: For many people, finding time for more sleep seems like an impossible dream. It doesn’t have to be. We’ve guided our coaching clients to achieve better sleep and watched them have significant improvements across many areas of their lives.
2. Nutrition
Definitely a more complicated topic and I’ll write more about this in the future, but nutrition basically changes everything. Here is a great example that was actually why I decided to write this article:
This holiday season was a ton of fun! I spent time with family, went on holidays and spent many extra hours laying around reading and watching TV on my couch. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Was it a change in my routine? 100%. I ate more treats and heavy acidifying food, had more sugar and was less active. All these things create an acidic environment in the body. This past week when I got back into my gym routine my body felt slow, tired and achy.
My joints hurt, my stomach felt a bit upset, my energy was low and my body felt stiff and tight. All of a sudden I had a moment of “Oh! This is what people are referring too when they say getting old sucks”, but guess what, I never feel that way normally and within three days of going back to my normal routine, I don’t have any of the symptoms above.
Key takeaway: take time this year to investigate and improve your nutrition. Everyone’s body is different, but there are patterns and very clear approaches that work exceptionally well. Removing allergens and inflammatory foods will have a dramatic impact on your energy and how you feel. We have years of direct proof from our clients on how starting with simple nutrition changes can be the catalyst to a complete health transformation.
3. Movement
I love the gym, so that is what I do for my movement needs. Does this mean that everyone needs to go to the gym? My opinion is, of course Yes, but also No. Yes, because spending time in the gym building and maintaining strong muscles will help you stay active in sports you love or running around with your kids or grandkids. No because if you hate the gym and won’t go consistently, then you are much better off finding something you enjoy and doing it 3-4x/week.
Key takeaway: Move. Move. Move. Your body needs and wants to move. Walking or hiking is a great way to start, but there are so many choices. If you need some inspiration, send me a message!
In Summary…
I know that none of this is rocket science and we have all been told these things before. So if that’s the case, why don’t we all just do it?
After training and coaching clients, and running our gyms for over a decade now, it almost always comes down to Motivation and Support.
If you feel like those may be some of your blockers, why not use the momentum of the start new decade to make a commitment to changing your approach to aging of this next 10 years. Reach out to a fitness or health professional that can help you map out a plan to stay fit and healthy in your 40s and beyond, and support you through making those changes. I promise you will not regret it!
Please contact us to increase your chances of reaching your goals! Shoot us a quick email at info@functionhealthclub.com!
