Aging with grace—slow down a bit
This is a topic that on the surface seems to go against what we normally preach on this blog. We normally write about performance, longevity, and thriving in general. But we think this topic is important because what you can do—and get away with doing, differs with age. A general rule of thumb is, that you need to be more careful as you age—you cannot go all-in in the rock n’ roll or CrossFit lifestyle forever. As we age our ability to recover decreases, and our bodies can’t take the same beating as when we were younger—we know, Scott is a heart attack survivor and Lennart just tore his Achilles tendon.
Don’t get us wrong, there are a lot of older individuals who are kicking ass daily, but we’re pretty sure that even these individuals train smart and have recovery strategies that complement their lifestyle. So, what are we proposing? Well, in the broader scope, we’re saying that everything has its time. An all-in attitude works well for younger people—you can party all night, and still be ready for school or training the next morning. In short, the consequences for doing stupid and shortsighted shit are often mild. Another aspect is that you often get more responsibilities as you get older. Many get a family that depends on their stability, you often get more responsibility at work or in the local community—in short, life is more accommodating, forgiving, and less stressful when you’re younger.
We have been thinking a lot about this topic, and how to approach it, and after many coffee talks, we have come to the following two initial standpoints:
Hold on to as many of your passions as you can but modify your approach, so they fit in with your current age and life circumstances.
Create daily structures that facilitate your passions. You need sustainable habits that get you in the right direction, but these need to be enjoyable enough so that you stick to them.
With that said, it’s important to have a healthy body and mind as you get older. We hear so many people give up and speak about their accomplishments in a past sentence—when I was in the army, or when I was playing football, etc. You’re not getting younger, and there’s a good chance that you won’t get reborn. So, here’s the coffee talker's three-point list of stuff that will promote longevity and better quality of life as you get older.
Reduce stress
There are many ways of reducing stress, but our go-to tools are as follows:
Getting enough quality sleep
Cold exposure
Deep breathing
Meditation
Body composition
Make sure you’re not carrying too much body fat. You don’t need a sixpack, don’t get us wrong six-backs are awesome, but you don’t need one to be healthy. Also aim to have lots of lean mass, this will kick up your metabolism and make you more functional—making it easier to live an active and more demanding lifestyle as you age.
Strength and Vo2 Max
Strength and Vo2 Max are topics that we have covered in previous articles, but they are worth mentioning again. Both strength and cardiovascular fitness are greatly correlated with longevity and resilience. So, if you ever wondered if you should get strong or fit, the answer is easy—you need both.
To summarize—find your path and play the long game, life doesn’t need to stop because you get older if you approach things a bit smarter.
So, follow your passion, but remember to relax, recover, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Until next time
Scott and Lennart