Kicking Ass at 80
Photo: Jacinto Bonilla // Credit: CrossFit.com
Have you ever wondered how you might like your life to look decades from now? What do you want to be able to achieve, and what can you do to achieve it?
~ James Molden
We believe as a company that our health is important to us so “we can do the things we love, when we want, with who we want.” What we mean by this is that we are not restricted by injury, preventable chronic disease, or immobility.
I have kept my list simple:
Get up off the floor unaided, and what is more move with vigor
Play sports with my grandchildren, and keep up with them
Wake up without an alarm
Walk around a full 18 holes of golf, no buggy
Share walks, swims, hikes with loved ones
Still be having sex, without viagra.
A simple man. I truly believe that the choices we make now will affect how we live in our later years. What we eat, how we move, how we rest, and how much enjoyment we get from life. However there are some facts that we will have to come to terms with in regards to the ageing process; we are ageing every second of every day, we are going to lose some functionality due to physiological changes, we have less vitality and find it harder to hold on to.
Those people who play the ‘life game’ best will achieve quality years later down the line. I know there is the old saying ‘live fast die young’ but honestly I don’t know many people who actually want this outcome.
There is no magical secret of a training programme to the longevity of life. However if you do the simple things well you will grasp onto that vigor, functionality, and vitality a lot longer than those who don’t.
I have written a few times about life stressors and how they can affect our training, recovery, and overall health. It is therefore no surprise that it is these stresses that are the aspects that negatively impact your life in later years. There have been great books that have been written about it. One that I love and recommend is Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, by Robert M. Sapolsky. The basic physiology is that our bodies are well adapted to respond to acute stress (i.e. being chased by a lion), but we are poorly adapted to the slow steady drip of stress that modern life presents us. We are in an age where we rarely encounter "fight or flight" situations. Instead, and as the book labels it, we are in the age of "sit and stew." We sit around and stew on the constant stress of the world we are in.
As we move through the day we need to be aware of the transitions of one task to another, and knowing when the intensity of life creeps up and down. It is the understanding of these transitions that will help us to better understand if we are becoming stressed or close to burn out. It is essentially learning to change gears at the right times during the day, adapting to the situation and wind up or wind down appropriately, and by doing so alleviate the impacts to later life.
The idea is simple. If you are constantly going from 0 to 60 mph in your days, or conversely from 60 to 0 mph, you are experiencing abrupt transitions. This is tremendously stressful on the body. Plus, it has a lasting impact on your ability to settle into new parts of your day. It's like you are riding a rollercoaster for the 16-18 hours you are awake every day. A rollercoaster that is known for fast starts, quick stops, abrupt turns, and unexpected inversions.
The concept is taking ownership and becoming your own lifestyle coach, assessing the needs of a typical day. To do this we need to establish some routine that promotes healthy habits and decreases stress. Here are some ideas:
Morning Ritual
Ever feel like the day gets going so fast that you can't ever seem to catch up? Try these:
Establish a routine that you can repeat on a daily basis that makes you feel more ease when entering your day.
Consider waking up 15 minutes earlier than usual to do some guided meditation, breathing, or yoga flow work.
Pause the screens - for the first 30 minutes after waking up keep the phones and devices turned off. Just be present with your day. Think about how you are feeling, check in with your body, and be mindful of your actions.
Eat and drink to nourish, enjoy your morning fuel. Value it, rather than having it to wake you up (coffee).
Intentional Warm Ups
Trying to rush into training too quickly and not feeling your best? Maybe getting some nagging injuries as a result or just not performing optimally? Try the following:
10 minute aerobic Start - 1min bike/1min run/1min crawl/1min row/1min jump rope x 2 rounds.
Focus on mobility or flow.
Intentional Cool Downs
If you can't wind down after an evening workout and fall asleep or transition into your work day after your morning workout without crashing:
5 minute walk outside - try breathing just through your NOSE
5 minute mobility focus - get your body lined up, sink into gravity, and let your abdomen relax and thoughts calm down
Intentional Meal Time
Are you shoveling food in your face as fast as you can? Do you get to the end of meals and wonder what just happened? Slow your roll with these tips:
Set an intention - look at your food before you eat. Smell it. Be grateful for the food you are about to eat. "Thank you for this nourishment and the opportunity to feed my body what it needs to continue to grow strong."
Slow down - chew your food more times per bite. Put the fork down after each mouthful. Turn off your screen and phone while eating.
Bedtime Rituals
Getting a great night's sleep is key for longevity and performance. Tune up your bedtime and settle into sleep more easily with these tips:
Block the Blue - Limit the exposure to blue light before bed, put the night light functions on, or avoid completely. This can help the brain wind down better.
Belly Breath/Nose Breath/Box Breath - set 5 minutes aside to lay down and practice nasal breathing while filling your belly on every breath. The box method is one in which you breathe in for a count of 3 seconds, hold for a 3 seconds count, breathe out for a 3 second count, and then hold the breath out for 3 seconds. Try to do this for 1-2 minutes.
Soak in an Epsom Salt Bath - great way to calm down and get a mineral soak in. Leave enough time (60-90 minutes) before sleep for your body to return to a normal temperature.
While training will help you to live strong, you also need to manage stress, eat to nourish the body and mind and allow time for focus relaxation. Establishing healthy routines now will set you up to kick ass when you are 80.
