Are We Ever “Too Old”?

49 Years, 4,900 Vertical Feet.

“The secret of genius is to carry the spirt of the child into old age, which means never losing your enthusiasm.” – Aldous Huxley.

I can remember a story about an elderly lady who went back to college to get her bachelor’s degree and when asked why she decided to do this at such advanced age, was quoted as saying something like “I’m 76. When I was 70, I decided I could be 76 and have a degree or 76 and not have a degree.” That always stuck with me. Anymore, I don’t know what old really means. When I was 20, I surely thought that 50 was old. Now that I’m 50, I’m not so sure I see it the same way.

As I advanced through my 30s, I became more aware of my health. My dad was diagnosed as diabetic and I began to learn about insulin and the effects of carbohydrates on our bodies. While I was leaning in the right direction, I still didn’t recognize the gravity of the situation…until I had my gal bladder removed and was also diagnosed with non-alcohol-related fatty liver. It was then that I realized I was at a dead end unless I took some proactive steps to improve my health. Fatty liver doesn’t end well for anyone.

I’m here to tell you that a life filled with adventure and physical stress that is fun is how we were meant to live!

In my early 40s, a gym opened in my neighborhood, and with my daughter’s encouragement, I immediately signed the whole family up. That was over seven years ago, and barely a week has gone by, one shoulder surgery excepted, when I haven’t been in that gym. I found out that it made me feel better. I don’t mean “about myself” although it did. I mean, it made me feel better. Combined with my respect and even fear of carbohydrates and over-indulging, I went from being a 235 pound dough-ball weakling to being a 190 pound man who had added respectable amounts of physical strength back into his life, hardly a beast, but definitely on a better path. I suspect I dropped more than 50 pounds of fat, as I had certainly added back lean muscle. The long and short of it is I can do more now than I could 10 years ago, and that translates to every aspect of my physical abilities, if you know what I mean.

I did this for two reasons. The first, honestly, was simple fear. I was afraid I was on a path toward diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and early death. My liver really scared me. After my gal bladder was taken there were no parts left to remove. The second reason is I could clearly see that I would be able to do so many more things with a lighter, stronger body. At the time, I was toying around with herbal versions of Viagra. That is far in the rear-view mirror now, as those thoughts no longer cross my mind as it is no longer problem for me.

Our bodies definitely trend toward being more feeble and less capable as we age, no denying, but if you are like me, and I know many of you are, there is a lot of low-hanging fruit when it comes to your health. I hope that, like me, you learn to have a little fear about your health and well-being. Obesity breeds cancer, heart disease, pulmonary disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver, and nervous system problems like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis. If you are overweight, over 30, and not scared, then you sure as hell should be.

Even if you aren’t afraid, what would it mean to you and your family if you were to go from a Body Mass Index of 32 to 26, which is going from “obese” to “overweight” as I did? Keep in mind that I have added muscle, which if subtracted, would probably put me down around 170 or 175 and a true BMI of 24, which is “normal”.  I’d rather keep the muscle, thank you, but just understand the point of how much fat I really removed. Well, I can say that going from 235 to 190 is like an equivalent of removing a 45 pound backpack. What if in fact, I actually removed 65 pounds of fat and added 20 pounds of muscle, which is probably closer to the truth? Ask yourself, what would that do for you, as an athlete? Could you hike farther, run faster, be a better lover, play with your kids or grandkids? What are the possibilities?

I’m here to tell you that a life filled with adventure and physical stress that is fun is how we were meant to live! How did you live as a 10-year old? Did you play kickball, dodgeball, tag, hide-and-seek, basketball, baseball, tennis, football, kick the can, or did you just ride your bike and run and play? If we can all get a little slice of that back, would our lives be better? If you learn to love your bicycle, taking walks, running, hiking, kayaking, fishing, hunting, yoga, resistance training, and other rewarding and enjoyable physical pastimes, would your life be better? Could you turn back the hands of time even just a little? I’m 100-percent convinced that answer is a solid and easy, “yes”!

A little excerpt from Christopher McDougal’s eponymous book “Born to Run” noted that athletes peak in their late 20s. What was really impressive is that endurance athletes ramp from age 19 to their late 20s peak, then gradually lose ground slow enough that at age 59 an endurance athlete roughly gets back down to their 19-year old performance level. Now that may seem hard to believe, but it is being proven all over the world. Instead of quibbling about the exact age, take the point that there is no reason to NOT continue to build your inner and outer athlete.

It is never too late to start, and like my 76 year-old college graduate story above, you can face the next year in better shape or worse. It is really up to you. My most pointed advice for moving forward is to learn to watch what and how much you eat, and to take on increased exercise. Some ideas:

• Learn about healthy diets. Simple things like eliminating processed foods, reducing starchy and sugary carbs, increasing vegetable and fruit intake, selecting grass-fed and wild-caught meats, and adding good fats back into your diet can make for a quantum improvement in your health. Avoid fad diets. Rather, change your entire eating habit once and for all and stick to it for the rest of your life.
• Go for a walk, and maybe mix in a little light running. Buying a pedometer or Fit-Bit or something like that can help you track your activity. Aim for 10,000 steps per day, every day.
• Take up a sport that gets you moving every day. Golf, fishing, and even more active sports like swimming, basketball, and tennis can give you sneaky good results while you are having a good time. Be a kid again!
• Resistance training is not just for bodybuilders. Resistance training (weights, bands, cables etc.) helps you to build strength, power, and performance. Read the right books and avoid bodybuilding in favor of athletic and performance-oriented resistance training. Your bones will become denser and your muscles and connective tissue stronger so you can increase what you do in life.
• Adventure! That is a one-word, all-verb sentence. Go on adventures to the local museum, rock face, rapids, antique store, park, mountain trail, campground, or mall! Get out and experience life as someone who is exploring and working toward and beyond that 10,000 steps. Go see the damned world and give up your cable subscription!
• Take up a strenuous hobby like backpacking, hiking, hunting, rock climbing, bicycling, rowing, running, tennis, basketball, or even motorsports. Do something that asks you to push your body further in order to get better at it. There are dozens of fun athletic hobbies you can take up, so pick one or two and go for it.
• Read, meditate, and nourish your spirituality. A healthy mind and body go together. Many of the above items will help you with your mind and spirit. Reading should be a lifelong hobby and learning to meditate is full of benefits for you. Finally, whatever your religion or beliefs, we are spiritual beings. If you love the universe, nature, or God, nurture that spiritual side for balance and health.

As we learn more about diet (trash that old food pyramid!) and medical breakthroughs provide us better health opportunities, age is increasingly an expanding thing. You may kick the bucket before you turn 40 or you may live beyond 100. What you do with those years is what matters most. If you are practicing to keep a healthy body, mind, and spirit, the years you are with us will be rich ones. Also, you will be putting the odds in your favor that they will also be long ones. Whatever your age, you can improve your life and well-being. Why not, as you can be 76 and in a wheelchair or 76 and swimming laps every week. To a large degree, the choice is yours.