OLD MAN PHYSICAL FITNESS

DO ANYTHING YOU CAN, NOW!

THIS ................................................. | ........................................ NOT THIS

The time is near, will you be able to “do the things” when it gets here?

Realistically, nobody has the time to work and be a gym rat like the guy on the right (all natural I’m sure!) but as we age, we need to maintain what we have left. You need to have some strength and more importantly stamina for when times get bad.

I’m pretty realistic these days as to what I can and can’t do where exertion and hard work are concerned. I am not delusional enough to think I can mentally will myself to rise to a higher level of fitness when the time comes, nor be able to do the things I could as a younger man.

But what I can do is prepare myself physically while the time allows, to be the best ME I can be for when SHTF arrives (schoon, very schoon) and that is what this post is about, a status check on my commitment to do better and push myself in the area of physical fitness.

MY FITNESS DECLINE

When I was in my early twenties, I was invincible, strong and more importantly did not need recovery 90% of the time when exerting myself past my normal state. I was in the Marines at this point and knew I could go beyond what I thought were my limits by just pushing through it, or “embracing the suck” as they younger generation likes to say now.

In my thirties I lost a little dexterity but on average had the same strength, only now I needed some sleep to recover fully from a taxing exercise.

In my forties I was dangerous! I thought I was still as dexterous and strong as in my thirties and pushed myself to the edge of my abilities almost to injury many times.

Then fifty came and I had to admit to myself I no longer possessed the dexterity, reflexes or strength I had even in my thirties, let alone twenties. I was still pretty strong and could out perform most < 40 guys at work when it came to physical strength just because most younger gen guys today are afraid of pain and quit mentally before their bodies will.

At fifty-eight (58) I’m resigned to working smarter and not harder. I’m not a weight lifter but I’m still stronger than many youngin’s I work with. Which isn’t saying much when you consider the malnutrition of most young adults raised on McDonald’s and beer. Luckily, I’ve never liked beer and don’t suffer from the “beer gut” that many of those around me 20-30 years my junior do.

STAMINA & FLEXIBILITY

Fortunately my job requires I walk a lot. My new Garmin Instinct 2 says I have averaged 8500 steps and 40 floors of elevation each day for the past month. On a busy day, 16k steps is not unusual. I have noticed in that same month that I’m losing and keeping weight off just by the extra steps alone, so to keep a good thing going, I’m pledging here to add a little more to the mix.

For me having stamina and being flexible are the goals I need to accomplish.

Most back issues I have are from tight quads and calves in my case, and I’ve started to stretch 15 minutes before work after my hour long commute to work in hopes of loosening up before starting the day off.

For stamina, I need the kind that is used for rucking and there is no substitute for just doing it. Work has a nice 2 mile loop on the property that weaves in and out of several ponds and I plan to take my GHB (38lb Summer weight) on short rucks during my lunch hour in an attempt to increase distance/speed this year.

Jay Climber (The Modern Minuteman) had a great challenge two March’s ago of 50 miles in March that really got me out there experimenting with max weights on my GHB and even though I only made 1/2 the miles, I learned a lot about myself and gear.

Like many who make a New Year’s resolution pledges (aren’t most gym subscriptions bought in December and abandoned in March?) having the discipline to continue on (especially without a workout partner) is tough.

There really isn’t much point to this post other than to encourage others in their Senior years to keep doing SOMETHING when it comes to fitness.

Be realistic but most importantly, be consistent and consistently move. Walking is the best thing you can do as you get older and stretching is huge to reducing injury and restoring limberness.

This post is going to be my record of discipline, or lack of, concerning my attempt to get better with my Old Man Fitness. If you see me slacking on my updates, leave a comment to get my butt back to work please!

---

FOR THE RECORD:

Lunchtime Rucks

Weekend Rucks

Stretching

I was going to track this but have made it a part of my morning routine and I get 10min worth for hurdle stretches each workday. I find it make a big difference on back health throughout the day.