I’m going to try to keep up with writing something on this topic (which is the dearest to my heart, though perhaps not yours) every Friday.

If you are over 30 (as I think most of you reading this are) your fitness focus needs to be on what you can habitually do for the next several decades. Other than the wrinkling of skin and graying of hair, most of what you probably perceive as old age is actually decreased conditioning. Stooped posture, shuffling gait, general feebleness, balance problems, even increasing weight are all a result of muscle strength not keeping up with body mass. In other words, you simply are no longer strong enough to handle the demands placed on your body. The good news is that muscle strength can be preserved with exercise. Some muscle loss will inevitably occur in time, but we are talking a lot of time, not a few decades.

So now, rather than later, is the time to decide what you are willing to do every week to preserve your muscle strength  –  both cardiovascular muscle strength and skeletal muscle strength, which will impact posture, ability to do everyday tasks, and balance.  Find something you enjoy that you can find time to do at least twice a week that will challenge your cardiovascular endurance. Ideally it should be something that isn’t hampered by weather conditions or ability to get somewhere else to do it. And also find a strength routine, whether it is with body weight, hand weights, machines, exercise bands, or other things such as kettleballs, that you are willing to make a part of your regular routine a couple times a week. Again, it should be something that you can easily do when you plan to do it.

Then get started. The years pass so quickly. The strength routine I’m currently doing dates back to right after I injured my back in my late 30”s, so I’ve been doing it for over 20 years. And I plan to do it forever. I’m not bored with it. It does what I need it to do. I change my cardiovascular exercises, but not the fact that I get up every morning but Sunday and do something. It is routine, so I don’t even consider not doing it. That dates back to before I even got married.

The fact is that if you can make these things a habit, you WILL do them and reap the benefits. If you put off making them a habit, you WILL NOT do them enough to make a difference in how old age plays out for you.

If you want help in designing a program that you can do until you are as ancient as me and longer, I’m here to help. Don’t put it off!