What Matters Most
We’ve all seen these lists of regrets of the dying that have circulated around social media. And despite the very clear message that we’ll probably wish we worked less, loved more, and were less obsessed with material things…well–here we are. We’re probably working too much, and obsessing on material things–and often at the expense of time better spent being present with our loved ones.
But love, as the song goes, is a many splendored thing. So how do we show love to ourselves and our loved ones as time goes on? Being consumers of the crazy tornado that is “Health and Fitness Content” for over 40 years now–we can boil their message down to a few key concepts:
Stay ripped forever
Stay young and beautiful forever
Ahhhhh. No wonder we’re always feeling “not good enough.” But guess what? We, at Coaching and Coffee Talks have gone that extra mile for you! Our research in this field extends to actually dying and coming back to life again! And what we can tell you is this: It really is love that matters most. And yes–that means opening up our mouths and actually saying the words, “I love you” to our family and friends–but it also means some of the hidden ways we express our love–by taking care of ourselves. Sometimes there is no way to avoid when tragedy and infirmity strike–but often the groundwork is laid long before an incident occurs. It is our contention that part of how we show our love to family and friends is by taking care of ourselves to the point that we are never a burden.
What does that look like? Well, to riff on our “Regrets of the Dying” theme–we don’t think you will be on your deathbed exclaiming, “I wish I had six-pack abs.” However–you might very well regret having to have a loved one help you off the toilet for the last 20 years. The term “Functional Fitness” becomes very easy to define as you get older and older–it means, “I have to be able to function in my daily life.” That means being able to get off the toilet by yourself, get up off the floor by yourself, pick things up, reach for things overhead, and have good balance so that all of these movements don’t end up badly.
So what does a fitness program that will escort you safely to the end of life, maintaining your autonomy, look like?
Bodyweight squats. Go down to a point where your hips are parallel with your knees–this is “Get off the toilet” depth.
Get ups. These are getting down to the floor, lying on your back, and getting back up again. These are not done for speed. They’re done for safety.
Single-leg balance. Stand on one leg and hold the other one in front of the body for five seconds, to the side for five seconds, and to the back of the body for five seconds. Maintaining balance as we get older could mean the difference between life and death or infirmity.
Push-ups. Push-ups can be scaled by doing them onto higher and higher stable objects. We prefer to do them this way (instead of on your knees) because they engage your core much more effectively.
Rowing. Any playground will have some kind of bar where you can do body rows. Keeping these muscles strong is another insurance against falling–as these are the muscles that you will engage as you grab a railing to re-steady yourself after a misstep.
Deadlifts. You want to be able to lift things off of the ground without injury. It can be anything: paint cans, luggage, milk containers, water bottles, etc. The keys here are a straight back, engaged core, knees out, with hips down and chest up.
Overhead press. Again–you can lift anything, including just taking food out of an upper shelf in your cupboard, and putting it back again.
We like the rep ranges to be 12-15 reps, and do at least three sets of each. Because we tend to be more and more sedentary as we get older–it’s best to keep moving throughout the day to avoid stiffness. That makes microworkouts a great choice as we get older. You can do any of the above exercises in a microworkout format by just choosing one exercise per day, and doing it at least four times per day, before meals or a snack.
And one more thing. You’re eating too much sugar! Your body can’t handle it as you age–and more and more studies are linking insulin resistance to dementia and Alzheimer’s. That’s another place you just don’t want to go.
The Bottom Line: Let go of the idea of staying young and beautiful. Let go of the idea of having a flat stomach or six-pack abs. Do what you can to move well to the very end. It’s a love letter to all that you hold dear.
Until next time
Scott and Lennart