As we all know, time flies by much too quickly. I am 69, and sometimes I am not sure how I arrived at this age. I was with a dear friend last week who is my age, and she said the funniest thing: “Back when we were 50…” I laughed and laughed. In my mind, I still feel like I am in my 50s, even though I am far from it! The realization that we are no longer in our 50s was both funny and surprising. Since time moves so quickly, we need to train for the life we want to live 10 years from now—not only for the way we want to look today.
What Do You Want Life to Look Like 10 Years from Now?
When you picture yourself 10 years from now, what do you see?
Do you want to travel, hike, garden, play pickleball, carry groceries, or get up and down from the floor comfortably? Perhaps your goals are simpler. You may want to continue living independently, driving yourself, caring for your home, and moving through your day without needing assistance.
Many of the physical abilities we take for granted today require strength, balance, mobility, coordination, and grip strength.
Think about the movements involved in:
- Navigating a crowded parking lot
- Stepping up and over curbs
- Getting in and out of a car
- Walking up and down stairs
- Opening and closing a heavy car door
- Turning a doorknob or faucet
- Getting up from a hard chair, soft chair, or sofa
- Carrying groceries into the house
- Lifting a suitcase into the trunk
- Reaching overhead to put something on a shelf
- Getting down on the floor and standing back up
- Catching yourself if you trip or lose your balance
These movements may seem ordinary, but they are the foundation of an active and independent life.
Train for Function, Not Just Appearance
Exercise is often presented as a way to lose weight, change our appearance, or fit into a smaller size. Those goals may be meaningful, but fitness becomes even more important as we grow older.
We are training so we can continue to participate fully in life.
Strong legs help us climb stairs, rise from a chair, and maintain our balance. A strong upper body helps us lift, push, pull, carry, and support ourselves. Core strength helps stabilize the body as we bend, twist, reach, and move.
Balance work helps us react when the ground is uneven or when we unexpectedly lose our footing. Cardiovascular exercise gives us the stamina to walk through an airport, explore a new city, or keep up with the people we love.
Mobility allows us to move through a comfortable range of motion instead of becoming increasingly stiff and limited.
Every part of fitness has a real-life purpose.
Muscle Must Be Built and Maintained
We cannot assume that the strength we have today will automatically be there 10 years from now. Muscle needs a reason to stay.
That does not mean everyone must lift extremely heavy weights or train like an athlete. It means we need to challenge our muscles regularly and progressively.
A well-rounded plan might include:
- Strength training two or three times each week
- Regular walking or other cardiovascular activity
- Balance exercises
- Mobility and flexibility work
- Adequate protein and nourishing foods
- Rest and recovery
- Activities you enjoy and will continue doing
The best fitness plan is not the most extreme one. It is the one you can practice consistently.
Your Future Is Being Built Today
Healthy aging does not happen because we suddenly decide to become strong at 50, 70, or 80. It is influenced by what we repeatedly do in the years leading up to those ages.
Of course, it is never too late to begin. Strength, balance, and fitness can improve at almost any age. But we should not wait until everyday activities become difficult before deciding they matter.
Start Where You Are
Choose one action you can begin this week. Add two strength-training sessions, take a purposeful walk, practice standing on one leg, or work on getting up and down from a chair without using your hands.
You do not have to do everything at once.
Start where you are, use the abilities you have today, and continue building from there. Your future self will be grateful that you began.
This is what it means to create a Fitness Life by Design.