Are We Setting the Bar Too Low?

Are We Setting the Bar Too Low?

I turned 50 this year, so I joined AARP (hello, hotel discounts). As a member, I get lots of emails, and one subject line recently caught my attention:

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“The Daily — #1 Exercise for Balance”

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I clicked through to see what they recommended and this was it:

Balance is important, no doubt. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in four people age 65 and older fall each year. That’s a staggering statistic — and one worth taking seriously. In a conversation with a physician recently, he told me many falls occur on parking curbs because the person couldn't get his or her foot high enough to clear it.

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The “#1 exercise” shown above isn't a bad exercise at all, and it may be perfect for someone who’s starting from zero or rebuilding after an injury or illness. And if that’s where you are, it’s a great place to begin. But, the message I want to get across is this: start far before you reach the point where that’s all your body can handle. 

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Set the bar higher. 

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Every day in our gym, I see members well into their 70s squat, lunge, carry heavy weights, get up and down from the floor, and move with ease. They’re not avoiding challenge, they’re embracing it. They train so they can travel, garden, dance, lift their grandkids, hike, and keep saying “yes” to the things they love. They've set a high bar for themselves.

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If we set the bar low, we live down to it. If we set it high and keep challenging ourselves, our bodies rise to meet the demand. Aging doesn’t have to mean becoming fragile and frail - it can mean staying strong, mobile and stable enough to live fully.

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So, no matter your age today, ask yourself: What do I want my 70s, 80s, and 90s to look like? Do I want to tiptoe carefully through life, or do I want to move with strength through it?

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The choices you make now (and stick to) shape that future.