FIT in Your 50s Starts with a 30s PLAN #610

This conversation emphasizes the importance of establishing healthy habits in your thirties to ensure good health in later years. It discusses the decline of muscle mass and mobility with age, the necessity of strength training, flexibility, and regular health checkups, and the long-term benefits of investing in one's health.

Mentioned On Today's Show:
🤝 Neglecting health early leads to greater challenges later.
🤝 Muscle mass begins to decline around age 30.
🤝 Annual health checkups help track important health markers.

My Online Course For High Performing Men:
💻 Life Design Blueprint: 
https://www.themanthatcanproject.com/life-design-blueprint

Chapters

• 0:00 Prioritizing Health for Longevity
• 8:38 Investing in Long-Term Health Benefits
• 17:22 Building Healthy Habits for Longevity

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Good health in your 50s starts in your 30s, so we often think of health as something to worry about later in life, but the truth is the habits you form in your 30s and 40s set the stage for how mobile, active and healthy you'll be in your 50s, 60s and beyond. It's like preparing for a marathon, both literally and figuratively. The earlier you start training, the more likely you're going to finish strong, and this could probably be said for those who start training even earlier than their 30s, but I know most of you are in your 30s or beyond who listen to this show. So not prioritizing health early leads to a decline. The human body starts to lose muscle mass and flexibility earlier than most of us realize. By the age of 30, our muscle mass begins to decline at a rate of around 3% to 8% per decade, accelerating into our 50s and 60s. This process known as sarcopenia, which is, I guess, age-related muscle degeneration, reduces not only our strength but also our mobility, our balance and our quality of life, and I want you to think about this just quickly. The quality of life that we experience is because and I'll speak from my personal experience I love the fact that I can run around, I can be active. If someone invites me to go for a hike or do something like that, I know I'm capable and I'm comfortable and I'm excited by the fact that I can do that. I also love jumping out of bed every morning, not feeling restricted by back pain and various other things, because it's something that I work on. I actively work on.

Speaker 1: 1:40

Many of us ignore these signs, thinking I'm still fit and healthy, I don't need to worry yet I've got time. And that is one of the most BS excuses of all time, because I know so many people who are at a point in their life they're 50 plus that they want to get in shape and they want to start maximizing their time. Because in the early years of our life we're really focused on creating wealth and earning money to survive, that we neglect our health. But in the later years in our life we just want time back, and that's generally where our money comes in. It gives us that, but if you don't have the physical health, the mobility, the energy to do so, it makes you question was it really worth it? I've got the money, but how can I enjoy it? So I don't want you to fall into that trap of thinking that, hey, I'm still fit and healthy, I don't need to worry about it. Yet Ask yourself when was the last time you sprinted? Can you sit in a deep squat? Do you wake up feeling energized? Things like that are a good indicator to go. Hey, maybe I do need to start doing something like that, and I'll talk about it in a moment. But if you're an individual who doesn't feel comfortable in the gym, for example, that is completely okay. Right, but the earlier you start trying to get comfortable in there, the better. Now you can either just join a gym and start going Exposure will boost your confidence there or, secondly, just pay for a trainer. Right, start to learn.

Speaker 1: 3:11

Education is such a key part of longevity, and it's not just around weight training, it's also around your nutrition, mobility, various things like that, where you can continue to educate yourself to the point where it becomes part of what you do. And I posted a tweet a couple of or maybe a week ago now, and it said, or it read like this it was do exercise you love until you love to exercise. So if you're an individual who doesn't like the gym, I would say look, okay, that's fine, but let's just start with what you enjoy. Let's build the habit. But eventually we do want to incorporate strength training, and I'll talk about that shortly and how it can help in the fight against muscle degeneration.

Speaker 1: 4:00

But going back to where I was before, so the fact is, neglecting to address your health now makes it much harder to maintain later. So if you want good health when you're older, you need to have great health when you're younger. So by the time you're in your 50s, those small warning signs the tight joints, the weakened muscles have generally become major roadblocks to living an active life. And if you're like me, an active life is so important to you, whether you're wanting to get out and do adventures, trail runs, etc. Or you're just wanting to run around with kids or grandkids. That's important to you. Okay, I've watched people that I care about dramatically change how they live their life because of this. Not feeling comfortable in the gym or being held back by the fact that they don't feel great only speeds up the decline. Right, and that's the scary part. I have this idea that I'll still be living a great quality of life in my 50s and 60s and beyond because of the decisions that I'm making today.

Speaker 1: 4:56

I'm 33 years old at the time of recording this. So I even have a client, kevin, who is in his 50s, who still completes sessions that I personally find challenging. The key for him over the years that I've worked with him has been that he's never stopped exercising throughout his whole life. I've asked him how he's maintained it through his busy career he travels a lot and raising a family, and for him it was to never stop and raising a family, and for him it was to never stop. He has always made time for the gym and even while his life got busy, he's paid for coaching to outsource that, and I guess that's what I do as well. But he's been a client of mine for a number of years now and he's also been educating himself on nutrition for himself and, more recently, recovery and longevity. Now all of these things are going to help him because the more that we understand something, the more that we can be aware of when it's impacting us or how we can get on the front foot of it, because for a very long time. This leads me to my next point.

Speaker 1: 6:01

Like muscle loss and mobility, one of the biggest misconceptions people have is that muscle and flexibility loss are inevitable. Right, while it's true that range of motion declines with age, especially in the shoulders, the hips and the knees. This doesn't mean that you're doomed to a life of limited mobility. Studies have now shown that incorporating regular strength and flexibility exercises into your routine can slow these declines by up to 50% 50% guys. One study even found that 85-year-old weightlifters had similar muscle strength to inactive 65-year-olds. So it's that whole concept or idea of if you don't use it, you lose it. So you want to continue using it and you want to build it in. And this is where, from my belief, is smart programming is important. Now, all of us have different ideas of what great health is. All of us have different health goals.

Speaker 1: 7:03

For me right now, training for 58 marathons it consumes a lot of my life. So I wouldn't suggest my training schedule for 99.9% of people. But prior to this, I was training for health. So within the hour that I was allocating to strength training or running, I would also allocate around 10 minutes to mobility and stretching, and I also then would give you a breakdown of my training week. Currently it's two to three strength sessions and five runs, but other times it's been five strength sessions with two runs. But I aim to train a minimum of five days a week, or move my body five days a week.

Speaker 1: 7:45

Things like Pilates, yoga, just even sport, going to kick the football, things like that have played a big role in my life. So I want you to consider that If you're not moving now, definitely start thinking how you could. And this is where starting early pays off, just like compound interest. Earlier it's in the bank, the more it's going to pay off. When you're older, flexibility decreases by about six degrees per decade after the age of 55. But by implementing mobility work or yoga, pilates, et cetera, you can maintain or even improve your range of motion into your later years. Think about that. When you've got a greater range of motion, you're not going to feel stiff and stagnant. You're going to wake up feeling flexible and excited about life, not painful. So consider those small investments now.

Speaker 1: 8:38

For me, I personally just watch stretch routines on YouTube. When I was in Australia I was going to yoga classes at the gym at Function Well and Pilates and I would do additional strength stuff. But because at the moment I don't, that's what I'm doing and I can post some of those in the Strong Mental Value Academy there, some of the ones that 15 minutes, 20 minutes 30 minutes depending on the day that I would watch to help me do that. So make sure you check out the Academy as well. Aside from the mental health benefits and the confidence that I experience, physically I feel so much better after lifting weights and stretching. I noticed, when I miss a few sessions, like I have the last couple of weeks while we've been traveling, I feel stiff in my joints, like my hips, and I'm not a fan of it, not a fan at all, and I'm imagining that many of you can relate to that. You feel tight in the lower back, the hips, the hamstrings, as I mentioned with my routine. Find out what routine works for you.

Speaker 1: 9:35

I personally am a huge believer in moving as much as possible, so I've created a bit of a get great health checklist so you guys can take away and start implementing something. Now. If you're listening to this and you want the checklist, make sure you just go to my website, the man that Can Project forward slash newsletter, or you join the weekly newsletter and this will be emailed out. But here's point number one Follow an exercise plan that includes strength training. I see so many runners who have really poor posture because they don't strength train. They got the flat bums and probably achy knees and sore backs. Running is great I'm a big, big fan of running, but I also know the importance of strength training. So twice a week is key to preserving or even building muscle mass.

Speaker 1: 10:24

Focus on compound movements like your squats, your deadlifts, your lunges. I personally love squats now. I used to avoid it like the plague, but now I love squats and resistance. Training also improves your joint flexibility by strengthening the muscles around them. Giving you greater range of motion Also helps with your ligaments.

Speaker 1: 10:43

Point two incorporate flexibility and mobility work right. Flexibility exercises such as yoga or dynamic stretches should be a part of your weekly routine. These movements increase blood flow to the muscles and improve your joint flexibility. Even just 10 minutes of stretching after a workout can help maintain your range of motion. Right? Everyone's different and so I would trust that you know what feels tight.

Speaker 1: 11:09

A simple thing that you can take away right now. Jump on Google or jump on YouTube. I love YouTube. Jump on YouTube and just type in stretch routine for a tight back or 20 minute or 10 minute however much time you've got. I guarantee you there's going to be a video on that and just watch that and, if you feel value comes from it, save the video and you might put in your calendar. Two to three times a week, watch this video and just save the link there in your calendar. So all you got to do is click on it when you're reminded and you're good to go right. Remove the limitations or the reasons why you're not going to get it done. Remove the friction.

Speaker 1: 11:46

And the third point annual health checkups. I am still only considered young for annual health checkups, but I believe in establishing baselines because the more data you have, the better. You can see whether things are improving or declining black or white, super simple. So staying on top of our health through regular blood work can help you track key markers like vitamin D, testosterone and inflammation levels, and I do the well-man check. So if you're watching along, I'll put the link in the show notes there. Once again, it's not sponsored, it's just the one for me. I got it done last year and I'm going to get it when I'm heading back to Australia next week and it gives you a virtual dashboard with your data and it will say this is what's generally considered healthy. Here you are, and if you're not within the ranges, it'll give you some tips on things that you can do. So I think that's helpful, because when I'm 50, I want to say, hey, this is where my markers when I started getting tested at 32. So I think that's super important, and they give you insights on how your body is functioning and what areas need more attention. Right, simple? Blood tests can highlight deficiencies that might be contributing to muscle loss or fatigue. Right, super simple one. So those three again exercise plan that includes strength training, incorporate flexibility and mobility, and then your annual health checkups, blood work personally. So it's pretty cool to see and now that I have a baseline for my levels, I'm actually excited to see where I'm at 12 months later and if things are improving or declining. And then, as much as I don't want things to decline, if they are, I can get on top of it early, and that's a huge thing.

Speaker 1: 13:26

I used to put my head in the sand around health, but I think it is paramount to stay on top of these things. So I know most of us want to live a better life now and also later. So how do we balance the dance between enjoying now and benefiting from it in a decade or two later? And some things to think about, and there's a reason why athletes talk so much about playing the long game. The benefit of focusing on health now is exponential. You're not just preserving your physical abilities, but you're actively creating a better quality of life. Here are some of the biggest wins from staying consistent with your health.

Speaker 1: 14:06

Number one improved cognitive function. We all know the power of the mind. You hear it a lot with mindset talks. So the improved cognitive function from physical exercise is only going to elevate you in all areas of your life. Right, there is a strong connection between muscle mass and brain health. I get jacked. We often see people with lots of muscles and things that are bloody drongo, but maybe they're onto something Now. Exercise releases chemicals that protect the brain, reducing the risk of cognitive decline and diseases like Alzheimer's. Right, alzheimer's is growing at a rapid rate and, to be honest, it's scary and I am doing all that I personally can to make sure that I'm healthy as possible. I'm even using brain training apps to keep my brain and thoughts witty there because of that.

Speaker 1: 14:58

Point two reduce risk of chronic illness. So by maintaining muscle mass and flexibility, you lower your risk of developing chronic conditions like osteoporosis, heart disease and diabetes. Strength training improves bone density, reducing your chances of fractures. Right, get around that. You always hear of elderly people having fractures, so, once again, keep moving.

Speaker 1: 15:25

A simple one is really think about when was the last time you actually sprinted. We did it a lot as kids. Most adults won't do it after the age of 30. So how can you make your training fun? Or how can you design your training to still be doing those like proprioception, balance for me, even things like juggling I used to when I was playing football or rugby. You always got a ball in hand. So your training, coordination and proprioception as I've gotten older, I don't think I touched a football. Probably touched it 10 times in the last 10 years, right? So I think it's important to still find out how you can continue to train different areas of fitness as we get older. We should not just accept that it's done Now.

Speaker 1: 16:07

I want to say as fit, as healthy and mentally healthy for as long as I can. And the final one is just a more active lifestyle. Right, when you're looking after your health, you can do more. Simply put, the more that you invest in your body now, the more mobile and independent you'll be in your 60s, 70s and beyond. Right, resistance training helps prevent falls, one of the leading causes of injury and death for our older adults. Remember that. So flexibility, where it keeps your joints mobile, reducing stiffness that can otherwise limit your movement.

Speaker 1: 16:43

We only need to look around, guys, seriously look around. At the quality of people's lives. I personally see so many who have given up and feel restricted because where their health is at. I've chosen to use those people as an example of how I don't want to end up. My quality of life wants to be different, which means I have to do differently to them. I have to take different actions. I have to have different priorities. So how do you want to be in the future? It provides me with enough motivation to continue investing in my health now, not only for this present moment, but for the future as well.

Speaker 1: 17:22

It's never too early, or late, for that matter, to start investing in your health. If you take one thing away from this, let it be this Start small, but start now. Add strength training into a routine. Build up to twice a week, if not more, stretch after your workouts. Schedule that overdue blood test and the actions that you take from today will pay off for decades to come If you're ready to get started but don't know where to begin. I'm here to help Get the checklist from my website.

Speaker 1: 17:53

But if you're ready to start building habits that will keep you strong, flexible and thriving well into your 50s and beyond, now might be the time to join the Academy. Why will the Academy benefit you? Because you're around individuals who want a better life. You're constantly around people like myself and other men who may travel a lot for work, have busy family lives but are still finding time to prioritize their health.

Speaker 1: 18:17

If you want to look at the Academy, applications are open for another 11 days from this recording. You can head to my website, themanthatcanprojectcom, or go to the link below Hit an application call. The application call's intent is to find out whether I feel the Academy will be of value to you and whether you feel it'll be of value to you so you can get your questions answered. So head over there, book the call and I look forward to having a conversation with you. If nothing else, I hope you've gained value from this episode and you're going to get out there and get your health back in order. My name is Lachlan Stewart. I'm proving that every man can do something today to be better for tomorrow.