Over the past week I was having a few moments of reflection as I was greeting some of our members that were coming through our doors at 212 to make themselves 1 degree better. It is an amazing feeling to have the opportunity to work with many different types of people. Thank you to all who trust us enough to allow us to coach you. During this time, one group of 212ers stuck out more in my mind over those few days. It was our more “experienced” population. They stuck out to me because they truly are not the norm in this business of the United States society and culture. They can physically do a lot more than the average person in their age category and continue to work to be able to do more.
In a world that has created every trick in the book to keep you sedentary, this crew has been doing everything to not be in that category. People ask, “How do you slow down the effects of aging?” Here are a few answers for you:
Keep Moving
There is a reason it is part of our tag line for the gym. It is very important to keep your body moving in some fashion. Whether it be dancing, walking, working out, doing chores around the inside and outside of the house, just keep moving! Stop moving and the body will start to become stagnant and not be able to be the amazing machine it is capable of being.
Stronger the Better
Staying as strong as you can will only allow you to have access to do so many different things in life for a longer period of time than the people that are on the weaker side. When I say strong, I also mean to be cardiovascularly strong as well. A strong set of lungs and heart can’t be beat!
Keep that Engine Fueled Up
Continue to eat a healthy dosage of nutritious foods. Healthy doesn’t always mean to eat less. It will actually benefit you more to keep the tank fueled up and rearing to go. Doing this will help to keep the body functioning at a high level and help us to maintain our muscle that we have worked so hard to get.
Build your Body Armor
The result of staying strong and building strength is muscle. Building muscle and maintaining it will only fortify your body and make it more resilient.
Get them Zs
We all know the body needs to recover to rebuild and be able to perform at a high level. The best way to recover is to make sure you get your sleep in.
Get your mental workout as well
Staying away from being alone and forcing yourself to be social will help keep the brain sharp. Whether that’s interacting with groups of people at the gym, or as one of my clients loved to do, head to the casino. It can be anything- maybe it’s a book club, singing in a choir, participating in a walking group, etc. There are so many options of things to do to keep connected and learning.
Stay away from energy vampires
Everyone knows who these people are. They are the people that leave you feeling emotionally and mentally sucked dry. Stay away from them and keep them out of your circle. They are the people that are always negative or mostly negative and can’t see the better side of things. Be with the people who are going to fill you up with energy, positivity and you just make feel you are capable of so many things.
If you’re reading this remember it’s never too late to take action. Stop waiting and start taking steps today to fight off frailty. Be the person people praise and tell their friends about because you are above the norm at an older age! Until next time, continue to live life 1 degree above the rest.
