The article makes some good points about aging and athletics.
But there is far more to the story as I will detail shortly, blow by blow.
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By the time most people hit 60, it’s pretty much game over as far as living life to its fullest is concerned.
Most of that’s in the past, the memories, when a good night’s sleep was irrelevant.
These days, it’s more about a nice place near a beach, and plenty of whiskey.
Of course, I don’t know any of these people.
The people I do know are still semi-active in their careers, and regulars in the gym.
But I live in a bog city where the bar is set sky high.
In other words, people don’t see 60 as the end of days, but rather the beginning of a new dawn where even actuarial tables are considered abstractions.
Statistics
The Baby Boom is a period in history between 1946 and 1964.
There are roughly 77 million of us between the ages of 52 and 70.
We’re facing body changes that include a slower metabolism, arthritis, menopause, weakening joints, and, of course, depression.
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THE REALITIES OF A FITNESS LIFESTYLE AT 60
People at this age, with time to focus on workouts and the lifestyle that goes with it, are already successful in their careers.
Money buys the time, and this is a big deal because fitness is not just what happens in the gym.
So rule #1 is to have reasonable degree of financial independence.
Once you pass this initial test, you’re ready to start –– or continue, as the case may be.
As a lifelong athlete, I can tell you unequivocally that even for someone like myself with decades of training behind me, shit changes…and it feels like it comes in the night and takes what the hell it wants.
I wake up exhausted most days. Even the days I don’t, I’m still exhausted, relatively speaking.
It’s part physical, part existential [psychological].
I don’t know whether I want to get up and be productive or surf beachfront properties.
There’s this push-pull dynamic that I don’t recall experiencing in my past.
Then there’s the endless inflammation, the rehab from anti-inflammatories to prevent liver failure, the weird little shit that pops up every 5 minutes for no apparent reason other than what comes across as taunts.
This is why you needs friends who help support your efforts, your lifestyle –– particularly if you’re just starting out.
So Rule #2 is to have friends who like to workout.
Without a support network you are dead in the water, because, at some point, you’re going to give up without encouragement.
No 60-year-old in his right mind is going to workout unless he can share the journey with like minded friends, people who prop him up like AA sponsors.
Then there’s the whole low testosterone things, which, on some level, affects all of us at some point.
Many guys I know are on testosterone supplements, which is not without risks, but worth it if you don’t care what happens to you in 10 years.
To them, it’s the next 10 years that matter. You’ll have to decide for yourself if the risks outweigh the rewards.
Rule #3 is to get your Tes levels checked.
If they are ridiculously low, Prada makes beautiful syringe cases for your drugs.
There are also countless physicians who make handsome livings prescribing steroids to successful older men.
Rule #4 is to get more rest than you think you need no matter how little time you think you have left.
With or without the drugs, you’re going to need extra rest to recover from tough workouts…and, by the way, those are the only workouts you should ever have if you want to get anywhere.
If you’re going to piddle around, just stay home. Gym workouts are not for the faint-hearted, which brings me to Rule #5.
Rule #5 is to find a therapist if you don’t already have one.
Most older men get depressed, and without a healthy outlet beyond the gym, we tend to do stupid shit like buy motorcycles or bring in a hooker.
The best approach is to get help for the inevitable existential drear that comes with aging, and combine it with tough physical training.
If these two don’t nail it, call a priest.
In a way, staying fit at 60 is like boot camp used to be, only this time around you get to the final chapter in one piece
Another upside is that you’re not training for actual war, though it may feel like it.