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Summary
On episode 543 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan sits down with Jim Owen, a 40-year veteran of Wall Street, founder of the Center for Cowboy Ethics and Leadership, and best-selling author who, on his 70th birthday, looked in the mirror and didn’t like what he saw. He committed to change, and at 82 he calls himself a super ager, in the best shape of his life.
Jim argues sitting is the new smoking, since the average adult sits eight to eleven hours a day, and that getting fit later in life comes down to functional fitness covering five dimensions: strength, balance, core, stretching, and cardio, not just walking or the treadmill.
He also makes the case that training with a goal beats exercising without one, that recovery matters more as you age, and that the payoff is as much mental and emotional as it is physical.
Links
- https://theartofagingwell.com
- Episode 702 – The art of aging well with Jim Owen
Key Takeaways
- Sitting is the new smoking. The average American adult sits eight to eleven hours a day, and prolonged sitting drives tight hips and back pain, the aches most people write off as just getting older.
- It’s never too late to get more fit. Jim was in terrible shape at 70, with an excruciating back, both knees shot, and a frozen rotator cuff, and reached what he calls the best shape of his life at 82 by consistently showing up and doing the work.
- Functional fitness has five dimensions, not just cardio. Strength, balance, core, stretching, and cardiovascular endurance all need attention; skipping strength and core in particular leaves you exposed to back pain and falls.
- Strength training does not mean lifting heavy. Adults lose about 40 percent of their muscle mass by age 70 to 75 without training, so even light dumbbells used consistently can offset that loss and help protect bone strength.
- Balance training matters because falls are common and dangerous. Roughly one in three or four adults over 65 falls each year, and about a quarter million people are hospitalized annually with a hip fracture.
- There is a real difference between training and exercising. Training means working toward a specific goal with a plan; exercising, like a slow slog on a treadmill while watching the news, is far less efficient and far less motivating.
- Find your why before you start. A clear reason, whether it’s not wanting to burden your kids or wanting to keep up with grandkids, turns a vague wish into a plan you’ll actually follow; a goal without a plan is just a dream.
- Recovery matters more with age. Listening to your body and taking lighter or rest days when needed is as important as pushing hard, and steady incremental progress beats chasing personal bests.
- Jim’s three strategies to get and stay well: it’s never too late to start, and he believes about 75 percent of health and wellness is lifestyle-driven through exercise, clean eating, stress management, and sleep; build physical fitness as the foundation, but also tend to mental and emotional fitness; and listen to your body, especially as you age, while still covering the bases with a real plan.
“DNA is not your destiny.”
Jim Owen
Another Episode You May Enjoy
Episode 580 – How to live longer and better with Dr. Rand McClain