13 Years In: How I Stay Lean, Active, and Sharp at 45

This 31^st December marks 13 years of my fat to fit story that helped me build an alternative life at the back of my professional image.  I went from 30% to 9% bodyfat shredding 25kgs and consistently maintaining between 73 and 75 Kg body weight all these years.

I successfully achieved this as a result of aligning mentally to a goal and the body followed its natural course.  The process was kind a seamless due to my age and the fact that I was active and sports oriented as a young adult.

Now, at the age of 45 and as a recreational athlete, I’ve realised there are plenty of tools one can access beyond the limited physical training window to get the maximum bang for their buck. ‘Cause you will get old and experience physical and cognitive decline resulting in age related problems- and if you are a person with a sound mind and strong physical frame, you’ve just built more resources and ammunition to deal with such problems and any stress that comes along with it.

I want to give you one tool and one science-based suggestion that I have learned over the last 13 years as a result of my direct and indirect involvement in the sport.  

1.      Micro Workouts- So, aside from my dedicated training window, one of the things that I have incorporated in my daily routine is micro workouts- frequent short bouts of movement throughout the day, including occasional higher intensity efforts- I.E push ups, air squats, high knee or jumping jacks, stair sprints etc-  These improve resting heart rate, cerebral blood flow and oxygen uptake in the heart and brain, strongly associated with reduced all- cause mortality. My goal as a recreational athlete is to minimize or delay the impact of ageing on overall health and achieve longevity. Amongst other things, you need an active, healthy and functioning heart, improved oxygen supply and efficient joint mobility to achieve this. Daily exercise complemented by micro workouts that induce consistent elevated heart rate a few time I.E. 3 to 5 micro bouts of 60 to 90 seconds each-during the day helps you sustain this longer- as opposed to an hour of dedicated time and then being passive or sedentary throughout which in the long run diminishes the benefits of exercise on overall health as time goes by- our heart and brain reduce in size and there is a functional decline as we grow older- frequent and active interventions help to ensure we reduce or delay the affects of old age.

2.      Important of Dietary fats- Of all the macronutrients, health experts tend to manipulate carbs and protein the maximum due to its direct role in muscle building and weight loss- Protein & carbs get disproportionate attention across social media, news articles etc and there has always been less emphasis on fats. Historically, dietary fats were downplayed not because their benefits were invisible, but due to misinterpretation of saturated fat–heart disease data, decades of low-fat dietary guidelines, and concerns about their higher caloric density.– Fats are equally important and you realize this as time passes- the ageing process has its downside with declining hormonal health, changes in your skin and inevitable cognitive decline  - Consuming the right kind and quantity of fats support healthy aging and reduce age-related decline- a good rule of thumb is to consume 2 servings of fatty fish a week roughly around 7 to 8 Oz- supplementation is reasonable if dietary intake is low-  I consciously practise this now and can see a mark difference in how I feel and perform not just when I am physically active, but also as a professional where I am engaged more so from a cognitive standpoint.  

In addition to the above, I will recommend 3 of my core supplements with Whey Protein as nutrition support I.E.  Creatine ( there is compelling research now that speaks about its benefits not just in the gym or physical activity (ATP production) but also cognitive health and we can pick this up in another article), Omega 3, Vitamin D ( especially if you are close to the northern hemisphere like me and don’t get enough sunlight) and protein as and when required ( I consume protein more as an indulgence and replacement for dessert )

Ageing is inevitable so these tips will keep you ahead in the game-The next time anyone questions you when you get into a push up brace around your work desk- just tell them you are getting ready for your creative juices to flow better.

Here is me wishing you and your family a very happy and a blessed new year- until next time, we lift, there we are!