I Just Turned 50. Here Are 5 Things I Wish I Knew About Fitness when I Was 30.

First of all, I don't feel 50. How do I know? I don't, but I always thought of 50 as old. I'm still moving well, playing sports, working out and having fun. Enough of the chatter though, here's the list:

FIRST, Quitting alcohol is one of the best decisions you can make for lifestyle improvement. 

A lot of people ask "So you NEVER drink?!" No, I don't. I still have fun, I still stay up late (if it's worth it - which is rare) and I absolutely do NOT miss hangovers. I could go in depth with studies on why alcohol is bad, but you're smart enough to read so you already know this.

Yes, even in moderation alcohol is bad. No, that one study done by the International Wine Association isn't valid. Sorry, not sorry.

SECOND, You can keep getting stronger.

I have a personal training client that thought because he was 30 he would never get pull ups (big shout out to Ryan!). I knocked out 10 and then trained him with negatives and pulling exercises for a few months. Now he can also do 10. YOU can do 10 (and more) if you decide you want to. The work is simple - but not easy. Yes, you can keep getting stronger at 50 (with proper lifestyle)

THIRD, your sex drive will stay high if you take care of yourself.

There's not a lot more to this one. Is it weird I'm saying this? Oh, I'm sorry, how'd the 8 billion people on our planet get here and why is there a whole industry built on boner pills?!

Workout, sleep, hydrate, eat well and reap the benefits.

FOURTH, prioritize sleep dummy.

Get black out curtains, turn of the screens and don't push yourself to exhaustion. Cut off water 3 hours before bedtime (sip if you want, but the best strategy is to hydrate early).

8 hours of sleep will make you 4 times more productive than 5 hours of sleep. Yes, that statement is 100% anecdotal.

FIFTH, life moves pretty fast - stop to enjoy it.

I was VERY driven in my 30s and in a lot of ways it paid off. I'm happy I put in the long hours to set myself up for the future. When I was 38 I joined a cohort of business owners (doctors, lawyers, sign makers, contractors) that met weekly for quarter in a college classroom for a full 8 hour day and worked with advisors (Shout out 10k Small Business program).

Marcy (my advisor) asked me what I wanted. I told her to open 100 franchise gyms. She asked if I was ready to lose touch with my kids, likely cause my marriage to fall apart and never be home. That conversation changed my life forever, for the better. We continued to talk about organized breaks and down time - something I knew very little about; it was all GO GO GO!!!! If I wasn't growing the business, I was worthless in my own mind. I think they call it Toxic Productivity.

Anyway, I stop to enjoy life a lot more now (some days I think maybe too much, but then I push that aside and enjoy the time with the people around me.)

Hope these help; have a great day.