So this is me at sixty. I’ve just gotten done with a workout and I thought I’d take a pic with my new iPhone. It’s funny, I can immediately understand how to use any piece of equipment in the gym—even ones I’ve never seen before—but trying to figure out my iPhone is like learning a new language, lol.
But I finally managed to get the picture, so here it is:
Not too bad for sixty. I don’t have any daily pain or anything. I’m in the gym four days a week, plus maybe a little running or swimming on the off days, and I was sitting at 12.9% bodyfat this afternoon. My joints are fine, my tendons are fine and I don’t take any medications other than a finasteride pill each morning (prostate cancer runs in my family). In fact, except for a compressed disc in my spine I’m basically the same as I was about twenty years ago. I’ve kept about 95% of my strength, and while it’s true that I’m not as fast off a starting line as I used to be, I still enjoy sprinting in the spring and fall. It’s a great way to remain lean.
There’s no real secret to staying in shape. You’ve got to exercise regularly and not eat like an idiot. But it’s true that as we get older it gets easier and easier to injure yourself. And recovering from injuries takes longer as well.
So the best way is not to get injured in the first place! And toward that end, I’m going to be starting a new series of posts to help people prevent tendon and other soft-tissue injuries before they happen. Stay tuned!