By SCOTT TROILO
As our bodies mature, so does our ability to commit to keeping them in tip top shape. Raising families, pursuing careers, and just every day demands don’t allow many of us to spend hours upon hours at our local gym. This doesn’t have to be the case, we can still commit to a healthy lifestyle. We just need to notice and take advantage of the opportunities all around us to be “Forever Younger”.
As a former athlete and amateur body builder I grew up believing more is more. The harder and longer one trained the bigger, faster and better they’d be. For the elite athlete that may hold true but as I approach my mid 50s I’ve come to realize that LESS is more. Particularly to maintain a quality life style free of unrealistic expectations and more importantly, injury. What I have learned is commitment is still important. Committing to a healthy life style at any age is, in my opinion, the fountain of youth and we don’t have to kill ourselves or put everything else on a back burner to achieve our fitness goals. It’s important I mention that to achieve a healthier “you” we must address, not just exercise but two other essential components; proper diet and proper rest. Any one of these two without the third will short circuit your road to well-being. Here are four philosophies to embrace to stay forever younger:
Commitment. Make a promise to yourself to live a healthier lifestyle. To stay on point enlist a friend or spouse to share that challenge.
Keep Moving. Constantly tax your muscles and cardiovascular system. Take a brisk walk or bike ride. No more escalators. Take the stairs. Do some counter top push-ups during TV commercials. Short but frequent episodes of exercise are a great precursor to a more regimented program down the road.
Set Goals. Set some realistic and achievable goals. As your exercise program gets easier, challenge yourself by stepping it up a bit. Lengthen your walks. Pick up the pace. Consider joining your local gym starting with a very manageable 3 days a week workout for a half hour a day.
Enjoy Life. Striving for a healthier quality of life doesn’t have to be a chore. Incorporating exercise into your daily routine is an easy first step to realizing how good being fit can feel. Without doubt, a healthy individual is a happy individual and that mindset is contagious.
Once you start seeing and feeling results you’re not going to want to stop. I can’t stress enough how important it is for us to enjoy quality of life. Too many distractions, including over training, can short circuit that quality. We’re only on this beautiful planet a short time. What we make of that time is the key. I can assure you whatever our path in life, a healthy mind and body WILL help keep us forever younger!
