7 Anti-Aging Goals: Be a 90-Year Old Rock Star!

I'm fascinated by the aging process. Some people age with strength and grace, while others become frail and bitter. Some maintain their health, but the majority succumb to disease and illness. Over the years, I've learned a few things from strength training my clients and observing friends and family as we age. People can be quick to criticize their own bodies and waste a lot of energy bitching and moaning about every little ache and pain. We take so much for granted about our own bodies, rather than appreciating the miraculous gift we were all given, free of charge, at birth.

But one day, unless we take care of our bodies, the abilities we now take for granted, will begin to disappear. We will begin to lose strength, vitality and mobility. So, in anticipation of my own golden years, I've set some goals for myself. My intention, and part of my 40-year experiment on myself, is to be able to do the following on my 90th birthday.

1.  Get up from the floor! Somewhere along the line, as people age, they lose the ability to get up from the floor. I can't imagine not being able to get up. If you fall and break your leg, that's one thing. But to just not be able to get up from the floor because of pure weakness is not acceptable to me.

2. Squat down and stand back up! As your leg muscles weaken and your knee joints become unhappy, you lose the ability to squat. Who cares, right? Well, that means you can't really see what's on the bottom shelf of the grocery store, you can't squat down to hug your grandkids, and you have lost some of your mobility.

3. Stand for hours! Most old people cannot stand for very long and they are actively looking for a place to sit down. Standing must be very painful or tiring for them. I'm on my feet a lot during the day, but I also sit a lot when I'm typing my pearls of wisdom. Not to be able to stand upright, for an hour, two hours, or as long as I want, is incomprehensible to me.

4  Walk quickly and take long strides! Due to weakness, lack of core strength and balance, as we age our stride gets slower and shorter. I've got short legs, so I practice keeping my stride long. Lunging, especially on the beach, is great for training a long stride.


5.  Stand on one foot! This is all about balance and core strength. When I'm 90, I want to be able to do the Tree Pose with confidence.

What the heck! I don't just want to be fit, I want to be a 90-year old ROCK STAR! Therefore, I'm going to set the bar high with the following:

6.  15# dumbbell bicep curls! Just for fun! How impressive would that be? At 90 years old and pumping out 15# dumbbell curls?

7.  Push-Ups - boy style of course! A 90-year old who can still do boy style push ups would simply ROCK!

These are the first seven things I want to be able to do 40 years from now. I can do them all easily, without thought, at age 50.  I won't take them for granted and, in spite of some aches and pains, I will always remember to be thankful for a healthy, strong body. I'll be less critical of the wrinkles staring back at me and more appreciative of having strong legs to propel me through life.

Let me know your goals!