Father Time
It’s a fact! "Father Time” catches up to us all in some way, shape or form.
For the first quarter or so of our lives, most of us are enjoying the maturation process and are evolving physically to “natural” peak levels. Through the development years of our teens into our early twenties we are naturally transforming into mobile, strong, powerful, injury resistant individuals, and oftentimes are at our ideal weight. Then sometime in our mid to late twenties to early thirties, we begin to lose the resiliency that once came so naturally. Not to mention, our worlds become a balancing act of careers, marriages, families, finances, and community responsibilities.
But this is not a guaranteed recipe for a remaining life of doom and gloom.
What do Today’s Corporate Athletes know?
Today’s Corporate Athlete (TCA) is someone who comes to terms with the realities of human development and understands the importance of combating these changes by incorporating proper nutrition, training, and restorative measures into their jammed-packed life. TCA’s have not accepted an unhealthy, unfit, unhappy, and overweight fate with “zero” time allotted to wellness, but instead are working diligently toward slowing the “aging process” and maximizing their “well-being.”
As mentioned, TCA has not resigned themselves to a state of vulnerable health, low physical performance, or poor body composition. On the contrary, they plan to live their lives aiming to reverse these trends, but they’ll do so in a strategic, safe, sustainable, and sure fire way.
Today’s Corporate Athletes:
Commit to applying sound Nutrition, Training & Restorative practices to maximize their general health, body composition, and performance as life progresses.
Realize that consistent adherence to proper training and eating habits, along with adequate rest and recovery, will allow them to participate in recreational activities and sports, play with their kids and grandkids, perform laboring activities in the yard and around the house, all in an injury resistant manner.
In addition, this adherence will help them avoid self- inflicted chronic diseases, experience increased self confidence, and function cognitively at enlightening levels.
Know that by training properly, they can develop a BASE where they are firing at 70-80% of all cylinders year round.
Do not expect to exercise or partake in activities as "care free" or readily as they did as teenagers or in their early twenties (they know the time that needs to be put in towards building their BASE).
Understand that excessive amounts of high intensity training will most often lead to injury over time.
Recognize that ultra endurance events or extreme obstacle course are not necessary to compete in “The Sport of Everyday Life”.
Have come to terms with the fact not all exercise is good for us.
Understand why a professional athlete’s career generally comes to an end in their late twenties to early thirties (obviously there are a few outliers).
Are not influenced by the high intensity infomercials or extreme fitness centers offerings that are abundant all around them.
Observe that the lean, young, muscular models that are used during the marketing of these infomercials are lean in large part because they are in fact young, and also eat very cleanly…not simply because they perform the exercise program they are marketing.
Resist the thought of trying to become an extreme exercise enthusiast or trying to make exercise their “sport”.
Do not try to relive his/her competitive youth or to compete in a physique pageant, but rather works hard to navigate through life as mobile, strong, powerful, functional, and lean as possible
If they do however have a bucket list of “butterfly” moments, such as a 10k run, 50 mile bike ride, a certain number of pull ups, a maximal lift on a bench press, squat or deadlift, they find comfort in knowing their BASE is built, and are now more prepared to approach their “butterflies” one at a time, and with intelligent training.
See the pitfall of the surplus of 24-7 fitness facilities and their one dimensional, hamster wheel driven mentality towards "fitness".
Eat a minimally processed diet, consuming mostly foods that can be fished, grown, and butchered (or for a vegetarian, foods that can be grown, and for a pescatarian, foods that can be fished and grown).
Choose to live a lifestyle that incorporates physical and recreational activity, rather than living their lives through others as a spectator in the stands, on the couch in front of the TV, or through social media “celebrities”.
Find balance between food, fitness, families, and finances.
TCA Final Words of Wisdom?
In essence, the TCAs recognize the two options that exist:
If you choose to dedicate your time to unhealthy practices, the quantity of your
years may very well be limited, and certainly, the quality of your years will be limited.
VS.
If you choose to dedicate your time to healthy practices, you will likely reap the
benefits in terms of both quantity and quality of life for years to come.
Week 11 Quiz:
1) Generally, we are at our physical peak: a) Sometime during the 1st quarter of our lives b) As toddlers c) Right around forty d) In our fifties
2) Today's Corporate Athletes understand? a) The importance of incorporating proper Nutrition b) The importance of incorporating proper Training c) The importance of incorporating proper Restorative Measures d) All of the above
3) Today's Corporate Athletes understand that excessive high intensity training will often lead to injury over time. a) False b) True
4) TCA’s believe dedicating healthy practices to one's lifestyle will likely reap the benefits of both quantity and quality of life for years to come.
a) True b) False
Once you've taken the quiz, click here to see how you did.