The Aging Athlete: Tips For Staying In Shape As You Grow Older
Most athletes are born competitors. Since our early years, we have been conditioned to think in terms of “how many,” “how much” and “how fast.” The cruel twist of fate parallels the wisdom of age with the slowing of the fast-twitch muscles. The athlete who wishes to retain enjoyment in his older years needs cunning as well as brawn to do well, feel well, and be well!
Our primal instincts regarding the ever-upward ascent of our achievements have to withstand the changes in absolute measure (hardly any of us will be faster at sixty than we were at twenty, or even forty). We have to learn to take pride in finesse, in working with our changing bodies in a cooperative dance rather than a wrestling match, and to do so with the fond eye of a lover rather than the stopwatch of our high school coach.
How can we find the psychological energy to alter the deep-seated paradigm of measurement by numbers to a more profound acceptance and support for our now-aging bodies? How can we convert trial by numbers into admiration for coordination, reverence for grace and respect for complexity? Not an easy task, to be sure.
As in so many areas of life, a good starting point is self analysis. What brings me joy in my physical life? When do I thrive and which conditions make it possible?
A historical analysis can be useful. Write a series of memories, no more than 250 words, and let yourself recall when in your life you have felt best about your athletic achievements. Were you alone, as in weight lifting for example, where the solitary meditation brought you into competition with yourself? Or do you fondly remember team sports where the pleasure of a shared win was greater than