What my Dad turning 60 taught me about aging…

Several years ago, my dad was popping Vivarin (yes, those nasty caffeine pills) and medicating his high blood pressure.

As a past motocross and then racecar driver, working out wasn’t really a part of his training program. Recovering from injuries or surgeries was the only time his body really got a lot of focus.

Fast forward to a a couple of years ago and he heard about a 6 Week Challenge at a local gym — one of those where you get your money back if you reach certain goals.

This was exactly the level of competition he needed to get started. And he still goes religiously 3x/week and says it’s the best part of his day.

He is no longer on blood pressure medications.

His dentist claims that the only reasonable explanation for the drastic improvement in his (once) receding gums is the change in activity.

He enjoys exercise so much, he elected to come workout with me at F45 on his birthday and managed a 60 second plank.

I tell you all this to say…I’ve worked with A LOT of 60 something year olds and that is a defining milestone.

You can be an “old” 60 where you succumb to daily pain or have a growing medication list….

Or you can be a “Rick” 60 where you are getting high fives at the gym because you just finished a 45 minute HIIT workout.

I’ll tell you these small habits of going to they gym 3x/week and some mindfulness with eating (I mean we crushed pasta after that workout, don’t get me wrong) — have made all the difference for my dad.

Instead of worrying about my Dad’s heart health and wondering if his limp is getting worse, I’m pushing him to row faster on the machine next to me.

Age is truly just a number and it’s an additive tally of the decisions we make daily.

Is pain a part of life?

Sure, it comes and goes based on wear and tear or when you overdo it.

Is pain the price we pay for aging?

I refuse to accept that and you should challenge it, too.

With love,

Dr. Kelly