I’ll be turning 34 this weekend (feel free to send gifts) so I decided I’d write a quick list of some of my thoughts and the things I’ve learned over that time with respect to health, fitness, and life in general. With age comes perspective, I started working out regularly at 18 and have been training people since I was 24, so it’s safe to say I’ve learned some lessons along the way. Some have been easy and others not so much. Either way I have a lot more learning to do but these are my thoughts currently.
1) Get Up Early Set your alarm for 5 or 6 or whatever time, but actually get out of bed and start your day before the rest of the world. I know for me this is one of the few times our house is quiet and I can get some writing done. I don’t always make it out of bed, sometimes it’s because our youngest didn’t sleep well, or sometimes the bed is just too comfy.
Either way just get in the habit at least a few times a week of getting up early and getting some shit done. You’ll feel better the rest of the day and likely be much more productive as a result.
2) Quit Complaining Whether it’s about how hard it is to lose body fat, how your chronic condition sucks the life out of you, whatever it is just stop. Complaining is just plain annoying. Nobody likes to be around the person who constantly bitches and moans about work or the fact that the Starbucks barista spelled your name wrong.
Who gives a crap, get over it and focus on the things that are going well in life. Being grateful is much more fulfilling and will make you suck less.
3) Lift Weights Not real shocking advice considering this a health and fitness site, but as guys we need to be strong. Not only will you be a role model for your kids, you’ll actually be able to unscrew the lid off that stuck jar when your wife asks.
I’m not saying you have to be Arny but lifting a few times a week, aside from increasing your sexiness, has so many benefits. Being strong keeps us agile and aging gracefully because nobody wants to be rocking a wheel chair in their later years.
4) Stop Eating Like Your In College The days of ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese should be long gone at this point, except for when you eat the kids leftovers. If they aren’t that might be part of why you complain about not losing body fat (see #2 again if need be). Eating foods that are highly processed and washing them down with a six pack of beer will do nothing but keep you fat and unhealthy.
5) Learn To Cook This follows along with #4 very nicely in that any self respecting guy should have a few signature dishes he can whip up. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy but certainly more than tossing something in the microwave. You should actually know how to use the range and oven or at the very least be a master of your grill.
6) Spend Time Outside It could be fishing, going for a hike, or just taking a stroll in the neighborhood. Being outdoors is just relaxing so spend more time outdoors doing whatever it is you like to do.
7) Build Something As guys there is hardly anything less manly than using your hands to create something. Or it could just be a house project that you start and finish on your own. I recently laid some tile flooring down in our kitchen and hallway and the sense of pride when you see the finished product is totally worth it.
8) Drink More Water I don’t feel right if I don’t drink at least 60-80 ounces of water a day. Our bodily functions all need water to take place and if we don’t drink much of it we won’t be functioning properly.
I still have a few cups of coffee in the morning and the occasional cocktail in the evening, but water should be your main source of liquid through out the day.
9) Learn Something New This could be a new skill like building something (see #7) or maybe you want to start playing the guitar. It’s important to be an eternal student not in the sense that you need to always be in school, but just find time to learn new things and stretch your mind.
10) Plant A Garden I literally just started my first garden this year and it’s now beginning to yield some food. Being able to grow your own food in my opinion is just cool. My grandfather as I’ve mentioned before had a garden that spanned his entire backyard and it’s not all that hard to manage or maintain. Any nursery or even big box hardware store likely has starter plants that you literally just put in the ground and start watering.
11) Hang Out With Your Kids If you have kiddos spend time with them and enjoy the craziness that they bring to your life. I know it can be stressful and I have a hard time being in the moment at times, but time flies and they are only that young once.
12) Spoil Your Wife/Girlfriend Cook her a nice dinner, stop and get flowers every once in while, hell buy her some expensive jewelry. Whatever it is I think women deserve to be spoiled and we as guys probably don’t do it often enough.
13) Jump Out Of A Plane My wife and I went skydiving a few years back and it was one hell of a rush! If jumping out a plane isn’t quite your thing just do something daring that scares you, because there isn’t much better than a good adrenaline rush.
14) Compete It could be a weekend 5K, or a powerlifting competition. No matter what it is nothing gets guys amped up like a little competition so sign up or find something to challenge you and work hard towards it.
15) Do Nothing Our attention is so divided at times between work, home and everything else that needs your attention we rarely sit and do nothing. You could get up early and just sit quietly with a cup of coffee or have a cocktail by yourself in the evening once the house quiets down. Either way just find some time to relax, do nothing, and let your mind wander. I’ll find often times my best ideas come about in these times.
16) Be Passionate Not in the way you might be thinking, more in the way of finding something that truly invigorates you. I fell in love with the gym and lifting when I was 18 and it has been a passion of mine every since. For some guys it might be sports or tinkering with cars, just find a hobby that you can lose yourself in.