What a difference 25 years can make, in Fitness and Fashion!

Rock Climbing in Utah!

Today’s essay is a bit different from anything I have written before.  Everything I write in this article has been kicking around the inside of my brain for weeks, months, dare I say a few years, and it’s not getting any better.  It is now that I look to you, my faithful blog followers, to please consider the following, feeling free to share similar experiences you may be going through as well. 

While it seems strange to write, and even more surreal to hear spoken out loud, I am in my late 40’s, and nearing 50.  Yes, 50 years old. Not 50 dollars, not 50 pounds, but I have spent nearly half a century on this Earth.  While the number itself does not bother me, as it does some, the transformations my body is going through is quite bothersome both mentally and physically.  From an early age, I was always very athletic, playing baseball and football on a both a collegiate and professional level, while taking pride in the shape I was in and the

The summit of Mt. Everest in the Background

strength, stamina and speed I had.  So far this sounds not so unusual, I know; we’ve all had our ‘hey day’ where we were at the top of our game and in the best shape of our lives. While many find that entering into middle age is the best time of their lives; a time to rejuvenate, focus on health and fitness in hopes of extending life expectancy, I find myself in a different category at the present time (but with any luck, you will see a post a few months from now where there has been progress and transformation taking place). 

After having suffered various athletic injuries and had a near-death car accident or two, I have now come this far to find myself lacking energy, struggling with chest pains (yes, they’ve been checked out and I was told it was stress) , stomach & digestive maladies, constantly tight, aching muscles, routine headaches…. I think you get the picture.  What I don’t ‘get’ is how I got this way.  I am someone who, just a decade or so ago was out to conquer the world… I was braving wild rapids, trekking across the globe to make it to Everest, spending much of my time as a dive master off the beautiful coral reefs in the state I call home. I love the water; being out on the open sea with the warm salt water spray leaving a trail behind me as I head to my favorite fishing grounds.  I am at total peace in the water.  When I’m diving, the problems of the world are left on the surface, with nothing but captivating creatures and awe-inspiring formations in an underwater world where time ceases to exist (well, okay… Keep an eye on the O2 left in the tank, for sure, but you know what I mean). 

Im front row left, white helmet, blue jacket

Now that I am dealing with all these injuries and age-related consequences, I find myself depressed.  Depressed that I have weight to lose and it’s hard to come off at this age; particularly when I have the legs of a 20 year old but carry all my weight in my stomach.  I’m now very hesitant (I sometimes even use the word ‘scared’) to dive and do what I love most, for fear I could have a heart attack.  I can’t walk up a flight of stairs without feeling winded! 

I know all you fitness buffs out there will say “cut back on your portions, what are you eating, are you drinking lots of water, are you exercising….?”  The answer to all of these questions is a resounding “yes!” which is what makes this all so frustrating.  I like to walk; I load a book on tape onto the iPod and take walks along my favorite bays or a bike

A better class of friends!

through the Everglades. I bought a Wii Fit, a Wii Active; a recumbent bike for the road that I thought would put the least amount of stress on my injured neck/shoulder.  I’ve joined gyms; standard gyms, gyms that offer spinning classes, boxing gyms.  I love to turkey hunt and scout the woods prior to opening season, but now even that is something I won’t do alone, for fear I could experience problems in the woods. 

My question to everyone out there, and please DO reply to this post, is this: What have you done, or do you currently do to either deal with ‘old sports injuries’ / ‘old age’, or to KEEP yourself healthy and strong as you advance in years?  Do you know of anyone that has been an inspiration to you, who has helped you along the way? Please tell us your story, so we can ALL continue to be ‘out there’ doing what we love to do most… Spending time in the Great Outdoors and having a high quality of life.

Not ready to sail off in to the sunset just yet...