You already have lost a crazy amount of muscle mass by the time you reach 45...

I’m sure you’ve heard this before: “It’s not just the years in your life, but the life in your years”

I have a tiny visualization exercise for you to help motivate and inspire your wellness journey.

Start here: Imagine you can fast-forward to the age of 85 when you’re spending a day at the beach (every day at the beach is my ideal life plan, substitute your’s if you hate the beach! You could be hiking Mt Killamanjaro or whatever!)

Really put yourself in that place...what do you hear, smell, and taste?

What are you doing while you’re at the beach?

• Are you fishing …

• body surfing ...

• swimming and/or walking the shore?

Or are you sitting under an umbrella in a tall lawn chair or folding camp chair (because getting in and out of the short ones is almost impossible!), watching everyone else enjoy the fun?

Next: Let’s think about your home and think about a normal activity like grocery shopping and you are unloading the car from your weekly grocery trip….

• Can you carry it all in 1-2 trips?

• Or do you have to make several trips, and use a railing to help you up and down the stairs?

• Carry the 45# box of kitty litter by yourself?

Right now, are you able to easily do all the things you want to be able to at 85?

If you can, awesome – we’ve got to make sure you stay that way with a lifestyle that supports you.

But … if doing those things is getting harder all of the time, it’s time to ramp up your strength and endurance.

1. Research shows that you lose 3% to 8% of your muscle mass every decade once you turn 30, and that rate can skyrocket to up to 15% after the age of 60!

2. The kind of muscles that are most susceptible to loss are “type 2” – which help you generate force and power. Those are the muscles that assist with fun activities like swimming, fishing, and body surfing and the more common activities such as climbing stairs, walking, and standing. More importantly, they also are the ones you need to prevent falls!

This is why it is SO IMPORTANT to stay ahead of your fitness and strength as you age.

→ It’s so much easier to KEEP muscle than is to try to regain it once it’s lost!

Here’s a quick list of how you can do that:

• Have active hobbies (tennis, hiking, walking, or biking)

• Get regular, intentional exercise (Pilates, strength training)

• Sit instead of lying down, stand instead of sit. (Be sure to mix it up if you don’t work)

• Find ways to sneak extra movement into your day….park the car further away from the entrance, take the stairs instead of the elevator

It will pay off now … and for decades to come!

If you need some additional personalized stay-fit-for-life tips and ticks, hit me up! Comment below!