Are you passing each day wondering how you got to look so old? Have you nearly given up trying to look your best and resigned yourself to being out of shape, perhaps just not quite what you’ve come to expect of yourself?
We’re here to help! My name is Daniel Samson and I am a personal trainer who is now exclusively for the Boomer Generation – and that means I’m here for you! First, a little about me.
When I was 50…
I used to be an amateur body builder, along with being a construction contractor and genetically blessed with a high metabolism. However, I learned that good genetics will finally fail without a reasonable effort to improve our health and maintain our bodies. As my 50th was approaching (ten years ago), I felt that a landmark age should be a time that would define my the next 25+ years (Act 3 in my life). I re-visited my personal belief that we get out of life what we put in through nutrition, physical activity and a consistent positive desire to improve. We all may have different motivations, but the reward is the same for all of us – self improvement, or if we allow, self destruction. Once we drop our fears and excuses, and again CONSISTENTLY apply effort towards a reasonable goal, we do receive equal rewards for our efforts.
I felt I had reached my pinnacle by my 50th, as I had my house in order, so to speak, and semi retired, I took the time to balance my gym workouts with water sports. I also added yoga classes to increase my range of motion and maintain my balance. Occasionally, I added in a new sport or physical hobby to keep my interest high. I developed new skills, such as hand-eye coordination, to improve my reflexes. I knew that muscles are strengthened when our mind learns to master new techniques. It was a win, win for my emotional/physical well being!
My Story Changed
Then, I found myself idling along once I crossed mid-fifties, relishing a more sedentary lifestyle for more than a year, the weeks become months, as smooth and quickly as the setting sun. My body seemed to enjoy happy hour a little earlier and a bit longer, and hey ho, how can one bowl of ice cream hurt me!
Well guess what? it can, and it did … as it isn’t the one bowl, it’s the new negligent attitude that is a sneaky beast when under the influence of “I look simply marvelous for 60, just look at my
friends!”
Luckily, I caught myself before I spiraled down and relaxed into “old age”, a place I swore I’d never go. Now, I’m back to my old habit of jotting down daily lists outlining my immediate needs and projects I want to tackle. I realize more than ever, now that I am 60, that when our life becomes routine, we tend to flow along on auto-pilot, ignoring to-do items that are less urgent, or something we’d rather avoid. Deal is, those to-dos don’t go away! It’s actually refreshing to tackle the overall obstacles when divided into steps, so consider making a daily to-do list for yourself, if that is what will move you forward.
Set Your Mental Image on Being Your Best
So, I am encouraging you now to focus on the mental image you have designed for yourself for the long term, while embracing what feels like “slow as mud” changes as you progress undeterred. Charting our baby steps as never backwards, simply a lifelong commitment to a happier future through positive emotions and life-giving foods combined with the hours you are willing to invest in physically challenging your total body. It needn’t take all day, or require a high tech gym to succeed. The key is putting forth the effort needed to receive rewards.
Remember, even when we are eating foods and performing physical activities that are personally beneficial for our health and happiness, we may hit plateaus and occasional burn-out. For some people, a monotonous schedule may expedite these feelings. A creative mind is quickly bored if not focused on the positive gains, and early life successes may let us rest on our butt a little too long! Eventually we have to rise to our challenges. The trick is finding where to start. The answer to when to start is NOW!
Elevate Yourself!
Now is the time to compare yourself to YOU! What are you going to do TODAY about helping yourself ELEVATE CONSISTENTLY? I’m here to help motivate you to be your best self!
Forget the New Year’s resolutions. You and I will move forward from today with a positive mindset, and ONLY except the knowledge that each day is an opportunity to adjust our positive beneficial needs. LETS DO THIS TOGETHER!!
Feel free to add your comments or ask questions in the comment section below! I’d love to hear from you!
