3 Keys to Longevity in the Gym

Today, I want to focus on longevity in the gym. Longevity is something that I’ve really been thinking about a lot lately. As we program for the gym, as I look at my recovery, and as I look at my lifestyle overall. I want to be moving and working out well into my 80s.  If I want to do that, my training must be focused on longevity, not just on short term goals or gains. Unfortunately, this is a concept that is tough to grasp sometimes. As a culture that wants everything now, it’s hard to shift our focus to the long term and not just obsess over the short term. However, I think that if most of us would just zoom out a little, we’d see that longevity is so very important. So, how do you create longevity? How do you move past the mentality of let me get in shape fast or lose the weight fast or lift heavier weights faster? I’m not going to lie…it’s tough, especially for those that are just starting an exercise program. I encourage you to take a look at your training patterns. If you want to be training for the next 20-30 years, does your training style support that? Do you need to check your ego? What does your recovery look like? Are you being consistent? Let’s be the generation that keeps kicking butt well into our 80s. We don’t have to stop doing things that we love just because we are getting older. Instead, we just need to adjust and keep the big picture in mind.  Every training session doesn’t need to be a session where we are maxing lifts or pushing so hard that we have to lay all over the floor when we are done to regroup.  We can train hard but also smart. We can train for the long haul. Enjoy!