Middle age represents the approximate halfway point in your life, more or less.
Somewhere around age 40-65.
And most people start noticing the effects of aging during this period of life.
1.) They don’t have the same energy that they once did.
2.) They carry more body fat around their waist.
3.) They have more aches and pains than they did in their youth.
4.) Their metabolic health markers start to get worse (blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol.)
And although this reality can be existentially unnerving, I argue that middle age actually represents your glory years.
Why?
Because while you are, by definition, getting older, your net worth is also peaking.
And with more disposable income than you have ever had before comes a world of opportunity and experiences to cash in on.
But here’s the thing.
Your high net worth means absolutely nothing if you don’t have your health.
The Importance Of Health During Your Middle-Aged Years
Sure, maybe your blood pressure is a little high, and you have more body fat than you’d like, but it’s not that big of a deal, right?
Maybe right now it’s not.
But to put it bluntly, your health is not going to just magically get better from here.
The effects are only going to compound.
Before you know it, that ten extra pounds turns into twenty.
And getting a little winded walking up the stairs turns into being unable to keep up with your grandkids at the park.
I’m not one for fear-based motivation, but I’m here to tell you that your health will decline exponentially in the next decade if you are not proactive.
Proactive Health Strategy For Middle-Aged Adults
It’s time to start putting together a health strategy.
You’ve gotten this far in your career and built up a fat nest egg.
Maybe retirement is around the corner for you, or maybe you have already retired.
The point is, it’s time to put building wealth on autopilot while you focus your efforts on maximizing your health so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor into retirement.
We might not be able to stop chronological aging, but we can slow the rate of aging.
And the strategies are surprisingly simple.
Get Back into a Regular Exercise Routine
This one is non-negotiable.
You lose, on average, 2% of your muscle mass after age 50, which is highly correlated with increased mortality risk through hip fracture and traumatic brain injury.
And I’m guessing you don’t want to kick the bucket at age sixty-five by falling while climbing the Spanish steps in Rome.
A fit, healthy middle-aged individual can recover from a missed step, but this isn’t the case for a frail individual.
The bottom line is that lean muscle mass is extremely important as we get older.
Not only for reducing your all-cause mortality risk, but also from a functional perspective.
You take the tasks of daily living for granted now, but just wait another decade and see how much harder putting the groceries away feels if you haven’t been proactive about exercise.
Strength Training & Protein: Optimize Health During Middle Age & Beyond
The solution to muscle loss is really simple.
You need to engage in regular strength training and eat 1g per pound of body weight in protein each day.
This quantity of protein provides the requisite amino acids for synthesizing lean muscle tissue.
And we want to optimize for muscle growth to slow the rate of age-related muscle decline.
Cardiovascular Exercise: The Key to Stamina & Optimal Health
You will also want to perform a low-impact form of cardiovascular exercise to improve your heart health and increase your stamina.
You’d be amazed at how performing just three days of low-intensity aerobic exercise can improve your energy levels.
Not to mention since heart disease is the number one killer worldwide, it warrants taking a preventative approach.
Get The Right Help
I have clients in better shape in their 60’s than in their 30’s by simply strength training three days per week and performing three days of cardio.
You don’t need to kill yourself, either.
There is no reason to slap two plates on the bench press.
It’s not worth the injury risk.
Instead, listen to your body.
Start slow and perform the exercises correctly.
I highly recommend hiring a coach for this so they can give you the correct exercise to perform and ensure you are progressing appropriately.
You don’t necessarily need an in-person personal trainer.
Especially if you are more of a self starter.
You just need someone who is able to understand your needs & goals and then implement an evidence-informed strategy to get you feeling in tip-top shape during your middle-aged years.
Watch Your Diet
Here’s the thing.
Your metabolism slows down as you age, and you can’t expect to eat like you once did in your 20’s and not gain weight.
But the great thing is, you can still enjoy food to the same extent.
You just need a framework.
Calorie Framework
At the end of the day, the amount of calories you consume will dictate your body composition.
Eat more than you burn, and guess what?
You’ll gain weight.
Eat less than you burn, and you’ll lose weight.
It’s all about energy balance.
And when you have a framework, you know exactly how much you can eat without gaining weight.
Or, if you are trying to shed a few pounds, you know exactly how much to eat to target a specific rate of fat loss.
And this comes down to monitoring your calorie intake.
The Best Calorie Tracking Tool
I like to use a simple calorie tracking app like myfitnesspal which lets you log each food item that you eat.
It tells you the caloric quantity and gives you your daily budget, depending on your goals.
The hard part is sticking to it.
Thats where a coach comes in.
They can provide you with accountability and keep you honest.
You’ll be much more effective with an expert in your corner.
Cash In On Your Longevity Dividend
So if you really want to enjoy your middle-aged years and beyond to their fullest, you are going to need your health (along with a nice slush fund for travel, of course – which I know you already have).
It’s time to start taking it seriously.
Unfortunately, most people’s nest egg outlives them by a lot.
Why leave so many experiences on the table?
You worked hard for that money.
Sure, you do not want to outlive your money completely(every retired person’s biggest nightmare), and you want to leave some to the kids.
But you deserve to cash on those hard-earned dividends.
Middle age represents a shift in your life.
It’s time to take the gas off the pedal when it comes to earning.
Start living the life you have delayed gratification for.
The next years will go faster than the years up until now – so why delay any longer?
But to enjoy your middle-aged years, you will need your health & fitness to be in peak shape.
Although it may seem impossible, you can turn back the clock of aging.
Sure, you won’t be chronically younger by definition, but metabolically you will.
Your health span is much more important than your lifespan, after all.
The quality of your years matters much more than how long you live.
But you can optimize for both if you start planning accordingly.
Living into your senior years with optimal health is not a pipe dream.
And the strategies to get there are surprisingly simple.
Start with the two that I mentioned in this article, and you’ll be well on your way to cashing in on your longevity dividend.
Feel free to send me an email, and I’d be happy to answer any questions you have about improving your health & fitness into your middle-aged years.