Adjusting With Age: Less Is More

 

Begin A Good Thing

I didn’t run this weekend. It’s been raining since very early and the gym I go to is replacing the flooring in the treadmill section. I’m not against treadmills but it’s really painful to go more than 6 miles on a treadmill. Not painful but boring, so boring. Next week I’m sure they’ll have the gym put back together. It hasn’t rained in quite a while on a Saturday morning because I nearly always go. I used to be far less committed to running but that was years ago. I took off about 1 week every month, either because of the weather or because I wanted to sleep in. These days I realize the importance of exercise in general and running in particular.

Better Habits

I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday to have a prescription refilled. I hadn’t been to the doctor since before Covid and I’d lost my refill options. Fortunately, the visit was short and sweet. I got in early and left early. Fridays are slow. I’m in good shape because of my dedication to running and eating better. Notice I said “better” and not good. I’ve started paying attention to the foods I eat. Yes, I still eat plenty of foods heavy in saturated fat and salt and sugar. The cupboard shelves still groan under the weight of snack foods. But the way forward for me has been less is more. Cut down on the overall calories instead of trying to reimagine my diet from the ground up. It’s more likely to stick anyway. Good habits are tough; tougher without the incremental approach.

One or my first conscious choices was to stop buying pop at the grocery store when I got my first apartment. While in college, a few of us split rent on a dumpy 4 room walk up. I had to use the little money I had for food. Soda became a luxury I could do without. Yes, the decision was financial and didn’t have squat to do with health. But I noticed a significant drop in weight, also energy. I never went back to consuming as much pop. I’d learned my lesson. Water first, everything else second.

Since then I’ve been forced into other adjustments in diet and exercise.

Much of the increased discipline comes from getting older and not having the same choices. When I fill up from dinner it’s tough to sleep through the night. If I eat anything after 7:00 pm it has to be light, popcorn or fruit. About 10 years ago I went to the doctor with an excruciating case of acid reflux. During those years, I was working late and cleaning the milk coolers at Quick Trip. On the way home I’d grab a couple of their spicy Taquitos for the road. Those are deep fried heart stoppers of greasy goodness that warm up on gas station rollers. The food worked me over like an MMA fighter, and forced some serious lifestyle changes. But not eating heavy food late wasn’t a dramatic change. It was just a small step necessary to move on. My body made the decision for me. 

I cut out eating ice cream every night a few summers ago. I’ll still buy it on occasion but packing in 1000 calories just before bedtime had to go, like keg parties and McDonald’s breakfast. I’ve never cut something out of my life all at once. I’m disciplined to a point, but like chopping wood I need to take a few whacks at the log before breaking it in two. The one thing I always had going for me was my dedication to hitting the gym 4 to 5 times per week. The foundation necessary for getting in shape was already established, it just needed some tweaks.

Better Fitness

 In the early days (college, Army) that meant lifting weights and putting on muscle. I always mixed in running, rowing and spinning. But gaining muscle was my goal. That changed close to a decade ago. I started running all year long (even the winter) in addition to the gym visits. I guess my idea of fitness changed. Suddenly big muscles didn’t seem all that important. Concern for heart rate, cholesterol and blood pressure scores overtook my enthusiasm for strength.

I don’t remember how the mental shift happened exactly, but I knew I needed to up my cardio training. I’ve increased my distances and training ever since. One year I had some issues with planter fasciitis and another time I struggled with hamstring pulls. But I’ve always come back to running. Just yesterday, the doctor told me my blood pressure was amazing. That felt good. It’s also confirmation that my efforts aren’t in vain. The healthy choices I’ve made over the last 10 years map perfectly with my spiritual growth. It turns out, maturity isn’t just learning to take care of your body as you age. God is with us in the process and He's patient. Oh is He patient!

Conclusion

When God gets our attention, He breaks us down until there is nothing left but our dependence on Him. Then He ‘restores our soul’ and leads us in steps. Whatever vision exists for our lives is completely in His hands. We trust it too. He’s shown us a better way and given us a heart of gratitude.

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”. (Philippians 1:6)