I have to admit, this isn’t what I thought 46 would feel like when I was a kid.
I thought I’d feel older. More “grandparently”. After all, the average age of a first-time grandparent is 47, and I’ll be having that birthday in 3 short months. So why do I feel fit, strong, healthy and vital, instead of tired, broken down and fragile, like the grandparents I remember?
Strange as it sounds, it’s because I’m lazy.
By lazy I mean I like getting the biggest results from the least effort. For example, I want to enjoy my food — not feel like I’m making a sacrifice every time I eat. And I want to enjoy my exercise – not feel like it’s an unpleasant chore that has to be done to accomplish my goals.
Over the years I’ve gotten better at my laziness. As a sports medicine doctor, I’ve figured out some simple ways to look good, feel good and perform at a higher level than I would have ever thought possible at “grandparent” age. While there’s no shortage of trendy diet and exercise advice out there, my formula for looking great and feeling young really isn’t that difficult. Whether you’re a man or a woman, the principles are the same. Here are the simple rules I follow myself, and explain more in my book, “46 And Ripped”:
It comes down to 3 basic ideas:
1) Sensible Goals – choosing to be the best version of “you”, not someone else
2) Choosing Tasty Food that keeps you healthy and lean
3) Choosing Enjoyable Exercise that keeps you strong and flexible
Choose to be a better version of yourself.
When it comes to setting goals for your future self, rather than trying to look like someone else you admire, seek to “max out” the body you were born into. Otherwise you might end up choosing to look like a marathon runner, when in reality you’re built like a linebacker. Picking the wrong body goal is a guarantee of failure and disappointment, so think of your mission as exploring what you and your body are capable of. Your goals should be flexible and change as you discover how your body responds to your new diet and exercise program.
And while looking good is important, when done right, it should simply be the result of having a healthy body. Being “ripped”, for example, really just means that you’ve built some muscle and you’ve kept your body fat in a healthy range. Short cuts are tempting, but they’re unhealthy and unsustainable.
Food isn’t just fuel.
It should taste great, too! Yes, it’s true — what we eat powers our movement, builds muscle and repairs injuries, but that doesn’t mean it has to be bland, boring or difficult to prepare. I truly love eating, and that’s because I’ve found some simple recipes that make each meal a delicious, hearty and satisfying experience.
When it comes to meals, I shoot for 3 things:
1) A regular variety of vegetables. I eat 1-2 lbs of vegetables daily. Veggies are more nutrient-dense than fruits, and most Americans fall far short. Darker veggies pack a bigger punch, and each color has a different nutrient profile. Keep at least 3 colors in your fridge at all times to improve metabolism, fuel muscle and speed recovery.
2) Limit grains and sweets. Want a flat tummy? Here’s your ticket. Rice, cereal, bread and pasta turn to fat more easily than other foods, can leave you with a bloated, gurgly belly, and make you sleepy after a meal. You’ll crave them for about 2 weeks after cutting back, but then your cravings will go away!
3) Hydrate! Men, get at least 3 liters of water a day. Women, at least two. 70% of Americans are dehydrated, and remember that you are mostly water. If you don’t consume enough, your body doesn’t have what it needs to repair daily wear & tear, keep your metabolism humming, or rebuild you after a workout. Don’t forget that water helps keep your skin soft and supple, too!
Movement is your friend.
Remember, your body is really just the vehicle that your brain drives around. And like any vehicle, driving it regularly helps keep it in tip-top shape. Keep it interesting. Personally, I play beach volleyball for 3-4 hours a week, and spend an hour in the gym twice a week.
When it comes to crafting a good exercise program, here’s all that really matters:
1) A regular variety of movement. Pick activities that sound fun to you. Try new things. There are far too many ways to be active for you to be settling for exercise you don’t enjoy. In general, pick activities for your week that cover all movements: bending, reaching, extending and turning.
2) Have hard days, and easy days. Like a car, your body is capable of drag racing as well as leisurely cross-country road trips. Both types of exercise benefit you in a different way, and should be a part of your weekly regimen.
3) Allow for rest! Half of any good fitness program is the work you do, and the other half is letting yourself recover from that work. Building some “relative rest” into your schedule helps keep you from getting injured, and actually speeds up your gains. Sometimes less is more!
In the end, we all want to live younger, longer. The good news is that it’s really not that difficult, and you don’t have to “win the genetic lottery” to get there. Who cares if your parents don’t have the body you’d like to have at their age. Your genes play a relatively small part in how you’ll turn out, and that means that YOU have most of the power to change yourself, and it’s never too late to start. Becoming the best version of yourself can be easier than you think!