A few months ago, I ran across a video where to men were talking about getting older. One asked, “What advice do you have for those who are chronically aware they are getting older?” The other man smiled and told him this, “I tell them, go to the gym. Find a gym, and go. When you get there, lift heavy weights. Heavier than you have your whole life. Lift and lift and lift some more. Be smart about it, hire a trainer if you need to, but lift. (Competetive Edge in Hermitage have several amazing trainers if you need one.) Use proper form and technique and if you don’t know how, ask someone, they will help.”
He also added to basically stop drinking and have delight in your life, meaning do things for other people that make them smile. It could be opening doors, letting people in traffic, whatever, but just do it and you will see.
I have lifted heavy mostly all of my life, except for the past say five or six years. Life came at me and so did all the excuses but no more and now that I am approaching 56, I am also chronically aware of my age but sitting around and thinking about it accomplishes nothing.
Here, though, is the other part that I want to talk about. I posted a small video on Instagram about going to the gym and someone replied, “I haven’t been to a gym in 15 years. If I do go, they will make fun of me.” I sat back and thought about this for a little while and this is what I want to say.
No one at the gym will make fun of you. No one. Not a soul. In fact, you will be surprised that at the gym, and this is any gym, you will find some of the most supportive and wonderful people in this world. I am so not kidding. You can go up to anyone at the gym and ask how to work this machine or that machine and that person will bend over backwards helping you out. I see it all the time.
You will be surprised that no one cares you have not been inside a gym in years. Not a soul. No one will care that you can’t bench press 315 pounds. Not a soul. You will be most surprised that after you go a few times, you will start to see some familiar faces and after a while, they will start to hold you accountable.
The great stoic Seneca once said—“We suffer more in imagination, then we do in reality.” Exactly! We get all worried and concerned what someone might think about us and we shouldn’t at all. Remember, everyone is battling something and they are not going to spend any time thinking what you look like or how you lift in the gym.
Excuses and procrastination can destroy one’s confidence and drive. Don’t let them in the car, don’t let them in your house and most importantly, don’t let them in your brain.
So get up, go to the gym and see how wonderful you will feel in a short time. And you will soon be chronically aware how going to the gym can do wonders for your life.
