Defying Age by Personal Trainer Eric Goletz, NASM

Staying in good shape as one gets older is an ongoing challenge, as one must maintain consistency with nutrition and regular exercise. The other key to staying in great shape and having a youthful outlook is attitude!  I don’t care how old you are; to say “I’m getting old” is the first mistake. No, as you get older, you can’t do everything you could when you were younger. However, one of the keys to staying young is to embrace what you can do at your age.   Focus on what you CAN do, not what you CAN’T do.  And even more importantly – embrace your age!  You can’t go backward, so keep moving forward and owning it! This is your journey, and you have the power to shape it.

This becomes even more crucial after surgery or multiple surgeries. At 65, after having double knee replacement 2.5 years ago and back surgery with a double laminectomy a year ago, I can say with complete confidence that I feel the strongest and the best I’ve felt in years. The attitude with which you proceed after surgery has absolutely everything to do with how successfully you will recover and go forward after the surgery. It’s not just about being consistent with the physical therapy that follows the surgery, but also about how you continue strengthening and exercising long after the physical therapy is over, which solely depends on your attitude. The work you do on your own once the physical therapy is over is crucial!

Before the surgery, my knee surgeon told me, “I am giving you two new knees. How successful they will be is 100% and solely on you!” As a trainer, I already knew that, but it lit even more of a fire under me to tackle this huge challenge in front of me with all the fire I could muster.
In addition to the physical therapy, I worked out three times a week. I resumed exercising at the gym a month and a half after the surgery, determined to regain everything I had lost before my knees started deteriorating.

After both surgeries, knowing I had a long road in front of me, every day I would wake up and think, “Today is going to be a better day, and at the end of it, I will be a little stronger.  Some days, it was tough not to focus on the pain and discomfort, and on those days, I tried to redirect my thoughts and focus on something else, something positive, always trying to maintain the thought that I would eventually get past it.

If there were ever a magic pill to staying young, in addition to regular exercise and maintaining a clean, healthy diet, it is attitude!! The old saying is true: “You’re only as old as you feel.” And if you’re constantly telling yourself, “I’m getting old,” the physical feeling of being old will probably soon follow! Don’t talk yourself out of a vibrant, fun, healthy life at an older age; look forward to it!

Get to the gym—challenge yourself, or book a session with a trainer if you’re unsure how to do that. Mix up your routine. Doing the same routine every time you come to the gym will get boring. And if you’re bored with it, your body is undoubtedly bored with it.

Don’t be afraid of trying something new, of advancing your thresholds. If you come to the gym and always use the machines for your exercises, perhaps next time in the gym, do free weight versions of the same exercise. For example, if you always do a machine-seated chest press, try a dumbbell chest press lying on a bench instead.  If you always do your bicep curls on the curl machine, next time, try dumbbell biceps curls with one foot on a stability ball, thereby working arms, core, and stabilization.

Defying age and enjoying life starts with you embracing it. Instead of saying, “I’m getting old,” tell yourself you’re improving. Every day you get to the gym, you are investing in yourself—one that will help you continue to have a good quality of life no matter your age!

Please make sure you consult with your doctor before making any changes to your workout routine.