What I am about to write might make you feel very uncomfortable.
Particularly if you find yourself trapped in the pernicious cycle of training hard, getting results, falling off the wagon, and losing everything you’ve gained.
Even moreso if you’re not really training at all.
Here it is:
Falls are the number one cause of death by injury in the over 65s.
What’s more, according to the UK Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England), they’re the primary precipitating factor in a person losing their independence and going into a care or nursing home.
There’s a not-inconsiderable chance you’re wondering why I’m mentioning this, given that 65 feels a long way off for you.
And maybe it is a long way off.
But here’s the thing: You don’t become “old” overnight.
It’s the endpoint of a long, grinding march that begins oh so slowly but rapidly picks up pace with the passage of time.
What begins with your clothes feeling a bit tight soon progresses to achy joints, until, before you know it, you’re stuck on the floor covered in urine and excrement waiting upwards of 24 hours for an ambulance.
If you think that last part is an exaggeration, it is not.
I dealt with that exact scenario *at least* once on almost every shift when I was a paramedic. (Additionally, this was around ten years ago – so the wait times are probably much worse now).
The lesson?
Start training now or suffer later.
And when I say “training”, I mean good, old-fashioned barbell-based strength training supplemented by boring, steady state cardio like running or cycling and, of course, a lot of walking.
It is the only way, in my opinion.
Of course, there are no guarantees it will work – but I think there’s a moral imperative upon us all to at least try.
On the topic of training to set yourself up for a long, healthy, and happy life, my latest book, “The Constance Chronicles”, is written with the express purpose of helping you do precisely that.
It’s a strange book as it’s actually a collection of 30 letters I wrote to my daughter in January, so some might find the style and format offputting.
However, it works very well for those who prefer “bite-sized” lessons they can revisit time and time again over lengthy prose they read only once.
To learn more about the book, visit the below page on my website for a detailed summary:
https://philtyreman.co.uk/chronicles/
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman
P.S. If you preorder the book before midnight on Friday the 15th of March (that’s this Friday) you’ll get 50% off.