How old do you intend to feel?
Last week I half fell out of the loft of my house. Clumsy, I know, but a week later I am almost fully recovered from that fall. When I went to the Osteopath after the incident, they first noted that we are the same age (55), then, as they examined me, they noted that yes, I had been lucky the fall hadn’t been worse, but also that I would recover quickly as I am in “great shape for my age”. Thanks, Doc, appreciated that, and it also makes a serious point. How old do you intend to feel?
Not how long do you intend to live for, but how old do you want to feel? There is a huge distance between surviving to a certain age and to thriving and leading an active and physically full life to an advanced age. For me, I intend to feel fit, strong, healthy and active for decades to come. In order to give myself the best probability of that, I commit, proactively, to investing in my physical and mental wellbeing on a daily basis.
Sure, I know my body is ageing and that (as an example) when I get injured, it takes a little longer to heal than when I was decades younger (oh for the “bouncebackability” of the young!). However, I look to create balance in life, including committing time and focus to diet, exercise and rest (to reduce ageing physically) as well as near constant reading, listening, learning (to reduce ageing mentally).
So, when I did have a tumble a week ago, it was no accident that I was able to heal quickly, as I am relatively physically strong, fit and flexible for my age. Hearing that from the osteopath was a positive affirmation and a reminder to keep focussed on this, and, if anything to do more as the years go by.
My current regime is simple, to walk an hour or more at least 4-5 days per week, then to ride my bike at least once a week for 2+ hours. I’d normally also do Pilates equipment training regularly, so look forward to that again once the lockdown opens up some more. I’m also a seasonal person, so now the summer approaches, I will be upping that, as well as watching my diet and cutting a few kg over the coming summer months.
Often I muse on leadership and business, yet all leadership starts with self-leadership, and how we show up is also closely linked to how we feel physically, mentally, emotionally.
So, this question is for you to muse on this weekend in terms of your own self-leadership and wellbeing. How old do you intend to feel?
PS I have worked extensively with two personal trainers on Pilates equipment, Sue Merren in Cayman and Thushara Gibson in London. I highly recommend them both.