There may be times when you encounter an individual who lives on past accomplishments. I have instructed martial arts for almost four decades and frequently meet people who tout the fact that they are black belts in various martial art forms. Unfortunately, the individuals who make this claim have sometimes not trained for many years. At one point in their lives, they had the capability to perform at a high level, but with a significant time lapse in training, they have become a shadow of their former athletic selves.
I have witnessed this happen many times, and it appears to be built into our culture. How many high school class reunions have you attended? How many of your former classmates are just as you remembered? Is the all-star athlete still in shape? Or has a lack of exercise and poor diet caused detriment to his or her physical well-being?
The loss of physical attributes typically occurs over time with any seasoned athlete, whether they were amateur or pro. It is essential that their past athletic achievements are not the focal point. This is not to minimize any of the accomplishments made by these individuals; it is only to suggest that to be Ageless/Timeless, one must focus on the present and future in order to move forward in this lifestyle. A competitive athlete may not be able to perform at the level he or she achieved during the peak of their athletic career, but there is no reason that a dramatic deterioration in their ability should occur.
An Ageless athlete needs to strive for improvement and seek challenges. Living in the past will not accomplish this. Athletes need to find their current performance level and strive to enhance it.
Perhaps you are a runner. What is your average pace for running a mile? Can you develop a plan to improve that time? Even if you are only improving the pace by a few seconds, you are still moving forward. This same data-driven strategy can be used for many endeavors, including biking, weight training, swimming, push-ups, and pull-ups. The goals and endeavors are endless, but the point is that the practitioner is striving for improvement and not resting on his or her laurels.
It is also important to get out of your comfort zone and attempt challenges that may cause you to learn a whole new skillset. For example, as a 5’11” and 215-pound man, I did not typically assume challenges that made me feel and/or look uncoordinated. Nevertheless, I was well into my fifties when I attempted to learn to perform a simple headstand. This was a counterintuitive skill to learn, differing from any requirement for any sport in which I participated. With diligence, many failures, and some embarrassment, I was finally able to achieve a headstand. For those of you who are the coordinated gymnast type, this would seem unremarkable and rudimentary. For me, it was a major challenge. Now I want to perform a handstand. This is one of many such challenges I have incorporated to enhance my skills, improve my physical well-being, and avoid stagnation.
You select the challenge. Ultimately, the Ageless athlete needs to compete with himself. It is vital to find something that makes you feel alive and provides you with an opportunity to progress, to learn, to grow.
I asked my martial arts students to finish in this open-ended statement: “I will be happy when ______________.”
I got various responses, but one really surprised me. One student stated that he would be happy when he retired from his current position. This may seem like a typical statement, but the student was in his early 20s and had been working for less than a year at his current position. I surmised that it would require this individual to delay happiness for approximately 40 years—surely that seems like an excessive amount of time for delayed gratification.
Unfortunately, adults of all ages seem to share this same mindset: retirement will bring about a panacea of joy and happiness. Not only is this typically untrue, but it also reflects the lack of joy that many experience as a result of misguided thinking.
I know a physician who had a very busy lifestyle. His responsibilities and the prestige he received from his position seemed to fuel his vigor. I saw him during his retirement and asked if he was enjoying himself. He was not at all happy. According to him, each day was “boring.” He woke up each day without a sense of purpose. His health had deteriorated, and he didn’t have any clear direction in life. This is one of many encounters I have had with retirees.
When I was asked what I was going to do when I retired, I had a strong sense of direction. First, I would tell those who questioned me that I was not retiring. Instead, I would say that I was transitioning. It would either be to a state position in special education or a health and fitness advisor. My years as a martial arts instructor led to a seamless transition as an instructor at Penn State and the development of www.agelessstimeless.com. In addition, I added many more private martial arts students to my schedule because I now had more time to devote to my martial arts academy and one-on-one with my students.
It was a smooth transition to these new ventures, and I never experienced the depression that commonly affects retirees.
To live an Ageless/Timeless lifestyle, you need to define your attributes and use them to make a positive impact. Exercise is a vital part of this program. Sitting in a rocking chair will not provide the physical and mental stimulation necessary to be ageless. You have earned your transition, so put it to great use for the well-being of yourself and of others.
Stay Young
George Kattouf
I don’t know how many of you perform the plank as part of your core building regimen. I have incorporated it in my training and find holding the position for number of minutes is demanding. Our new featured athlete holds the world record for the plank. He held the position for 5 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds. Read George Hood’s story at www.agelesstimeless.com.
Stay young!
George Kattouf
An Ageless/Timeless lifestyle is more than just a healthy diet and a challenging exercise regime. Both of the aforementioned are essential in advancing yourself physically. There is one variable that may have an even greater effect on us: the mind. It is a key component that cannot be overlooked. In a series of blogs, I will address strategies I use to ensure that I perpetuate an Ageless/Timeless attitude and mindset.
To date, I am 62 years old. I have never and will never request a senior citizen discount. This is not because I have an issue with saving money. It is because I do not wish to be categorized as a senior citizen. I think of myself as an ageless athlete. By accepting this discount, I am in essence saying that I am old and deserve a break or that I need help because I can’t pay the same amount as someone chronologically younger. I do not want to be identified with this age group. I respect the elderly and those that are on a fixed income, but this is not me. I have observed far too many senior citizens take on the characteristics that society has pronounced as being acceptable for older individuals. The discount is just one of the links in the aging chain that will shackle you if you let it.
You probably guessed that I do not belong to AARP (formerly known as the American Association of Retired Person). This is a huge organization that provides a great deal of valuable information, advocacy, and discounts to its 50+-year-old members. I made the personal decision to not join AARP. It is not for me. By joining, I feel I would be placing myself in a category and group that is contrary to my perspective of myself.
I am not old enough to join Silver Sneakers. Once again, I applaud this program for giving adults 65 and older an opportunity to join a fitness facility which may be covered by insurance and guidance in exercise and health. Once again, I will not join due to the aforementioned reasons.
I am not suggesting that you should refuse senior citizen discounts or avoid joining AARP or any other group that accepts members in a similar age bracket. These are personal choices I have made to strengthen my ageless mindset. This and many other strategies work for me. You have to find your own mental gymnastics to help you prosper. It is imperative that you change your thinking if aging to you is nothing more than a debilitating state that will guarantee deterioration.
Stay Young!
George Kattouf
Please visit www.agelesstimeless.com to view a push-up I use to maintain and develop strength. In addition, I have two new links. One is for an amazing pictorial timeline of Clarence Bass and his lifelong quest for strength and fitness. The other is for Odd Haugen’s record breaking strength feat that is phenomenal. Both men inspire me and deserve the utmost respect.
Stay Young!
George Kattouf
In the six years since the inception of Ageless/Timeless, I have not promoted any products. This was purposeful on my part. I wanted the site to be an honest representation of my life, and the life of the featured athletes.
There is always a first, and having Penetrex as a sponsor is that first. I am always teaching and training. Every activity, martial arts, powerlifting, and running places a tremendous amount of stress on my joints, particularly my knees, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. I purchased Penetrex from Amazon, because I was encouraged by the testimonials. Many times products that claim to relieve joint pain have no effect. Penetrex was the exception. Using it as directed, I felt a diminishing of knee pain within a week. I have used it consistently since. The relief I have received from Penetrex allows me to train hard with less recuperative times between training sessions. I exercise daily, and some days teach martial arts for 8 hours straight. I need a product that will sooth my knees, and alleviate discomfort, so I can maintain my schedule. Penetrex has served that purpose. It has a light pleasant smell, and does not have that analgesic odor typical of similar products. It is rubbed directly on the skin. I have also used Penetrex for muscles, tendons, and general joint relief. The effect is the same, pain and discomfort is relieved, and inflammation is reduced.
Initially I purchased the smaller jar, but found I needed the 4oz. jar due to amount I was using on a daily basis. I hope you will try Penetrex and get the results I have experienced. To find out more details about Penetrex, visit www.penetrex.net or click on the banner.
It is my goal to provide my readers, honest assessments of exercises, and products that will keep you ageless.
George Kattouf
Our new featured athlete not only uses physical challenges to maintain an Ageless/Timeless lifestyle, but has pioneered research which will impact upon all seeking the Fountain of Youth. Dr. Bill Andrews’s amazing story may be viewed at www.agelesstimeless.com
It has been 18 months since Dr. Shiple performed stem cell injections to rejuvenate my knee cartilage. I am pleased to report that the procedure was successful. I am running, sprinting, squatting, with heavy weights, and performing martial arts kicks. Yes, there are some days when knee pain is greater than other days, but generally the pain has diminished. Before the injections, the aforementioned activities were very painful and often required me to rest for days between training sessions. Today, I can train daily with little recuperative time. It should be noted that this was not an easy process. I committed my energies to this current level of training. There were many set-backs, but I kept working towards mental and physical rejuvenation. These are my experiences. I am not paid to promote Regenexx or provide medical advice. If you wish to read more on the subject, read Dr. Shiple’s book and information at www.drshiple.com
Agelesstimeless.com is proud to announce our new Featured Athlete, Dick Hoyt. Dick is a remarkable athlete and father who possesses unbounded love for his son Rick. His remarkable story is posted at www.agelesstimeless.com
Ageless/Timeless is proud to feature our new athlete Paul Risso. Paul has the distinction of being our first professional baseball player. His story literally proves that dreams do come true! You may read his bio at www.agelesstimeless.com.
Stay young!
George Kattouf
