“Oh well, that’s just the way it is! I’m getting older, everything stops working after fifty, all down hill from here…”
This statement and all the variations of it, make an assumption, and that assumption is what creates a lie and makes us all accept that every year we spend aging, our bodies will only get worse. We get an image of what that body will look like, stiff back, aches and pains, overweight, etc. And we except that this is inevitable.
But this assumes that we are at our peak potential physically, and that ever passing year, we continue to be at our peak potential.
Are we? Are we really experiencing our top physical potential? Unless you are a professional athlete, probably not.
For most of us mortals, we stop moving in any significant way spending too much time behind a desk, on the sofa or the wheel of a car. If our physical peak can be a 10, then we are at a 3.
Yet our bodies need movement, they crave it and are designed to improve to match the challenges of it. This requires a lifestyle that is based on physical activity that promotes cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility and pliability along with a healthy diet that fuels and hydrates the body. Challenge the body, fuel it correctly and watch what happens.
We will age, and naturally not be the same that we were in our younger years, but by doing the work, we can be on an upward trajectory of health and improvement as we continue aging.
By chasing our full potential, we will watch our bodies improve, not decline.
Allow me to elaborate. Let’s say my body’s potential at age 50 is a 10. But because of my lifestyle, I’m living at a 6. If I don’t take care of my body, each year I will watch that number decline, 6, 5, 4, you get the idea. Yet, I could have been at a 10 if I did the work.
Not many of us are living our full physical potential now and we are still losing those points every decade. But if we do something to raise the points, then in reality we are getting better every decade, not worse. We have changed the downward trajectory of our physical ability and have made right the course of our life. With every year we get stronger, more flexible, getting closer and closer to our maximum potential for that age.
I am living proof of this. I am nothing special other than a man who loves practicing Taekwondo. This practice led to many healthy choices and constant improvements. I had not been in the dojang for about 40 years and began again as a white belt at age 50 and I am now 57. Each year I got stronger, more flexible and capable of doing things I had never thought I could physically achieve again.
I even had a friend recently tell me, “David, you seem to be aging in reverse!”
We will age but chasing after our full potential destroys the myth that we have to accept how we age. This is exciting news. By living a martial arts lifestyle, we challenge our bodies beyond the requirements of daily living and we observe measurable improvement instead of declining as we get older.
So, keep kicking my friends!
Editor’s Note: For a deeper glimpse into the life of a martial artist thriving through the years, be sure to also check out author David Ianetta’s article Fifty-Five and Still Kicking!
- Martial Arts Through The Years: An interview With Michael Robishaw - January 12, 2023
- The Life of an Adult Martial Artist: Is It Worth the Sacrifice? - June 18, 2022
- Motivation and Age: Do You Have Something “Still in the Basement”? - June 11, 2022
Great points, David! I like to joke that my knee injury happened two days after my 41st birthday for a reason, but in seriousness, maintaining our health and physical activity is so important. This inspires me to keep moving and keep kicking!
Thank you, Melanie! I’m always inspired by you as well!