Why your BEST is still ahead of you

By Steve Laybutt

A common story I hear from people is “I’m getting old” or “I’m falling apart”. Whilst often said in jest, it is often a reflection of an underlying thought that the person is losing control of their health and heading towards a decline.

The reality is with the right mindset and approach, your BEST is ahead of you or actually doesn’t even exist because there is limitless potential.

At SmartMoves, time and time again we see people come in with issues they think will never resolve. With a positive approach, they not only fix their “issues” but are able to become better than they were before the “issues” started.

The image below shows an MRI image of the thighs of two 74 year olds. It shows that ageing doesn’t need to be a barrier!

Here are some tips to help you get to where you want to be, and beyond.

1) Use the past, but don’t live there.

Reflection is important but we don’t want to dwell on our “glory days” or spend too much time thinking of previous illness, injury, or inactivity.

People tell me, “I’m lazy” or “I never do my physio exercises”. These are stories that people have told themselves based on previous experiences. The reality is, there is immediate potential for a person to dismiss these labels that they have placed on themselves and form new thoughts and actions that help them to become “motivated”.

The past can be useful in some ways. Think of the time you felt “in your prime” or when you last felt healthy and happy. For some, this may even be as a child. Reflect on what was going on in your life at that stage

What were you doing at that time?

· Activity levels

· Diet, sleep

· Thought processes

· People surrounding you

Try and replicate what was going on at that time by implementing some of the good habits and removing some of the less helpful habits that have crept in.

2) Think about the future, but not too much

It is important to think about the future to make decisions that are going to benefit your future self.

At the same time, if we spend to much time thinking of what’s ahead, we limit our ability to focus on the now. In our younger years, often we had no thought of the future and were completely engaged in the moment.

As adults, responsibility can often get in the way, we may prioritise a report that need to be done over exercise, sport or things that bring us joy.

Also, when we do get the time for a workout, we may still be thinking about our work or trying to get the kids to do their schoolwork.

If we can focus our attention on what is directly in front of us, we will be much more productive, motivated and happy. When its time to work – work, when it’s time to exercise – exercise. When its time for family – focus on the family.

Often, with age we have more fear. Fear of deteriorating health can be a motivator, but often our fears will get in the way of progress.

We may fear a niggly knee will lead to crippling pain so we stop running, fear that if we don’t reply to an email right now we won’t get ahead at work, or if we get out of bed earlier we will be tired all day.

The reality is, in almost all cases, what exists in our mind is much worse than what actually exists. By acknowledging this and making more positive choices, we can reduce our fears, implement healthier habits and are likely to be able work less hours for increased output.

3) Start Small

Goals are great. But they can also be overwhelming. We may see the end point as being too far away or use experiences from the past to predict our failure to achieve them.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – Lao Tzu

Start with a small walk or run. A minute of skipping. Or a set of pushups. If you can incrementally build this by 1%, then in 3 months you would have nearly doubled your output, formed some good habits, and set yourself up to achieve your long-term goals.

4) Routine

It takes a lot of mental energy to break a routine or habit. Some of these habits may be beneficial to our physical and mental health, others may be detrimental. Exercise needs to become a habit and part of a routine. People who say they will exercise when they get the time, almost always will not find the time.

Just like remembering to watch Gladys’ press conference at 11am, we can schedule exercise into our daily routine. If Gladys decided to talk at 9:51 am on one day and then 1:23 pm the next, there is no chance we would tune in! (Probably not a bad thing though).

The same with exercise! If it’s scheduled in everyday at the same time it becomes a non-negotiable and your brain will become familiar with the routine and you’ll actually start to look forward to it.

Why your BEST is still ahead of you!