It Stinks Getting Old, or Does It?

In my profession as a personal trainer I often hear statements like this, "It stinks getting old" as people start to complain of some ache or pain that they associate with age.  To which I reply, "what's age got to do with it?"  The culprits behind most aches and pains people associate with aging is a negative outlook on life, lack of regular exercise, and poor nutritional choices. 

Your body is made for movement. It is a magnificently designed living organism and, if properly taken care of, will provide you health, strength, and mobility for all of your life.

People seem to think that once they reach the age of forty, their bodies start to deteriorate, slipping down the slope into “old” age. They blame their lack of energy, their pudgy appearance, and their aches and pains on “getting old.” Most of these symptoms are however the result of years of negative thinking, lack of exercise, and poor dietary choices. The key to keeping your body fit and firm as you age is making healthy lifestyle choices on a daily basis.

It’s a proven fact that people who make healthy lifestyle choices live longer and have a better quality of life than those who adopt unhealthy habits. So, deciding to incorporate healthy habits into your life is the first step to getting and staying fit and firm with age. The next step is choosing those activities that are the most beneficial in your quest to stay fit and firm.

Those, including myself, who stay fit and firm as the years pass find that a positive state of mind, a proper mix of strength training, and cardiovascular exercise, and balanced nutrition is fundamental to getting and staying healthy as you mature. Al Beckles and the late Jack LaLanne can teach us so much about living a healthy lifestyle.

Al Beckles is a legend in the bodybuilding world. At the age of 55, Al placed second in the Mr. Olympia competition, the premier bodybuilding event which thousands of competitors from across the world dream of winning each year. Al Beckles competed into his sixties because his physique was still phenomenal and better than competitors more than half his age

Jack LaLanne was a living icon to the benefits of healthy thinking, eating, and exercise. Over the years he performed amazing feats of strength and conditioning on his birthday. Jack worked out well into his 90s, devoting one and a half hours each day to strength training. This is a true testament to the value of strength training as you mature.

Let me tell you the value that healthy lifestyle habits have in my life. I am in my 60s and I'm a National Masters powerlifting champion. In competition I have benched 320lbs, squated over 460lbs and deadlifted over 500lbs; none of which I could do in my 20s.  More importantly, I don't have the "aches and pains of aging."