Myth Busting Age As an Excuse

“I’m getting older and my body doesn’t work like it used to.” I must hear this saying multiple times per week when talking to individuals about health and fitness. I get typical answers like:

• “My back hurts.”
• “My knees aren’t what they used to be”
• “I can’t recover like I did at 25”

But their follow ups also speak volumes:

• “I want to be strong, but I don’t want to get hurt.”
• “I don’t want to become one of those people who can’t get off the floor.”
• “I want to keep skiing/hiking/golfing/playing with my kids.”

There are two main points to bring up. The first is that a body in motion stays in motion. One of the reasons that we start to hurt as we age is a vast majority of the time, people slow down from their early age. Sitting a lot more, automating manual labor, relaxing a bit on the food and drinks. There is a lot of truth to “if you don’t use it, you lose it.” You won’t physically lose your muscles but they will cease to activate when needed and other muscles will take the load. Over time, these imbalances will cause pain.

The second thing is that people want to get stronger… but they often go too hard too fast. This approach will lead to burn out and injuries. If you really want to get strong and not get hurt, be able to get off the floor, and continue to do the things that you love to do, hire a Coach. Hire a professional that knows how to get you from point A to point B. Start slow, build the habit, and give yourself enough runway. 

The gym is built for everyone and there is a path to success for each individual, but you have to be honest and start where you are at, not where you want to be. Only then will you fix your “bad back” and “shoddy knees.” Yes, you don’t recover like you’re 25 anymore, but you still recover. And we can still improve slowly but surely.