How old are you? The actual age according to your birth certificate.
How old do you think you are?
I’m 49 but in no way do I think I am. In my brain, I think I’m some where in my mid-late twenties. I don’t feel any different to when I did back then. Maybe a little more tired since the kids moved in.
I don’t know what I was expecting to think like when I was within spitting distance of 50; more appropriate jokes, know about politics and the depth of wine.
My brain just doesn’t feel “old”.
However, the activities and misdemeanours of my past are catching up with my body. I still have a reasonable level of fitness and can train pretty intensely; I just need a lighter day the next day.
As I’ve aged, it’s my training that has had to adapt to more age appropriate levels, I struggle to smash out multiple intense sessions in a day.
Some of that is the type of training I do now and some because of the lack of attention I paid to recovery sessions in the past.
I’ve noticed the same in my injury clients that are around the same age, we all just take a little longer to recover, make a few extra noises getting off the sofa and need to focus on the movement quality of the exercise we do.
I feel a lot better when I spend time each week doing yoga or chi gung, mixed in with some strength training. As we get older, it’s strength and mobility that give us the most carry over in to the quality of life.
Cardio is good to do but if you’re short on time, focus on activities that fatigue your muscles and work on the whole body.
If you’re not sure where to start, book in for an assessment and we’ll get you sorted.
Darren “Still Grrrreat” Checkley
