Is it your age or is it your lifestyle?
Is it your age or is it your lifestyle?
Hey ${contact.name.first}
What if some of the things we blame on getting older are actually the result of how we've been living?
One of the most common things I hear in the gym is:
"I'm just getting old, Steven."
Usually followed by something like:
"My knees aren't what they used to be."
"I can't get up off the floor like I used to."
"I've got no energy anymore."
And yes, ageing is real. Our bodies change, recovery can take longer, and certain physical abilities naturally decline.
But here's something I want you to think about.
How much of what you're experiencing is actually ageing, and how much is simply the result of not asking your body to do very much anymore?
Your Body Is Brilliant at Adapting. Unfortunately, That Works Both Ways.
Think about someone who spends most of their day sitting down.
They drive to work, sit at a desk, drive home, sit on the sofa and go to bed.
Over time, their muscles become weaker, their fitness declines, and movements that once felt easy become difficult.
Now compare that with someone of the same age who walks regularly, lifts weights, challenges their balance and stays physically active.
Same age. Very different physical abilities.
Your body adapts to the demands you place on it. And when you stop placing demands on it, it adapts to that too.
Here's Something That Might Surprise You.
Research shows that after around the age of 30, adults can gradually lose muscle mass, with the rate of decline often increasing later in life.
This process is known as sarcopenia.
But here's the important bit.
Strength training can significantly slow this decline and improve strength, even in people in their 70s, 80s and beyond.
Studies have shown that older adults can make substantial improvements in muscle strength after just a few months of progressive resistance training.
Why?
Because your muscles retain the ability to respond to exercise throughout your life.
You might not recover like you did at 20, but your body hasn't forgotten how to get stronger.
The Problem Isn't Always Your Age. It's Your Expectations.
I've met people in their 40s who talk as though their best physical years are already behind them.
And I've met people in their 60s and 70s who are still setting themselves challenges, building strength and improving their fitness.
The difference isn't simply genetics.
It's often what they're prepared to do consistently.
We sometimes accept physical decline far too early because society tells us it's normal.
But there's a difference between accepting that we're getting older and accepting that we should automatically become weaker, less mobile and less capable.
Ageing is inevitable. Giving up on your physical abilities isn't.
Think About What You Want Your Body to Do in 20 Years.
Forget six-packs, big biceps and how much you weigh for a moment.
Ask yourself:
Will I be able to get up off the floor without help?
Will I be able to carry my own shopping?
Will I have the fitness to explore new places on holiday?
Will I be able to play with my grandchildren?
Will I have the confidence to try something new?
These might sound like small things today.
But they could become some of the most important things in your life tomorrow.
And the work you do now helps influence how capable you'll be when that time comes.
This Week's 1% Challenge
I want you to do something that reminds your body it's still capable of improving.
It doesn't need to be complicated.
Get up and down from the floor five times without using your hands, if you can do so safely.
Walk an extra 10 minutes every day.
Add a little more weight to an exercise you've been comfortably performing.
Practise balancing on one leg for 20 seconds.
Try a movement you've been avoiding simply because you think you're too old.
Choose just one.
And keep practising it.
Because the goal isn't to prove how fit you are today.
It's to become a little more capable tomorrow.
My Final Thought
I don't believe everyone needs to be an athlete.
I don't believe everyone needs to run marathons, lift heavy weights or spend hours in the gym.
But I do believe everyone deserves the opportunity to remain strong, independent and physically capable for as long as possible.
And that requires us to stop treating movement as something we only do to lose weight.
Movement is how we maintain our ability to live life on our own terms.
You can't stop the clock.
You can't completely prevent the effects of ageing.
But you can influence how well your body functions as those years pass.
Don't just add years to your life. Add life to your years.
Keep showing up. Keep challenging yourself. Keep improving by 1%.
Steven 💪
The 1% Method
6 Week BE-STRONG over 40 beginner strength programme
The BE-FIT Strong Over 40 programme is a 6-week beginner-friendly training plan designed to help adults build strength, improve balance, and move with confidence. It focuses on safe, effective exercises tailored to those over 40, helping reduce aches, lower the risk of falls, and support sustainable fat loss. With a supportive coaching approach and personalised guidance, the programme aims to keep you active, strong, and feeling your best as you age.
See you next week for the next installment of THE 1% METHOD Steven
THANK YOU FOR READING MY EMAILS, I HOPE THEY CAN HELP AS MANY OF YOU LEGENDS AS POSSIBLE TO TURN YOUR HEALTH AROUND FOR THE SAKE OF YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES.
Talk soon, Steven
You could be our next transformation
2 Abb Street, Marsh, Huddersfield, UK 07515712447
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