Inner Child Part 1

I don’t often think or feel that I am the age I currently am, almost 44. Although there are more aches and pains that pop up and linger for much longer than they used to, I feel younger than I am. In fact, I often feel that I am a child at heart. I know my body is getting older, but I am doing everything in my power now to ensure that it stays and feels young for as long as possible. In a sense, I am trying to cultivate the inner child in my physical body. I can’t act like I did when I was a child, throwing caution to the wind, abusing my body and knowing it will recover. I know for a fact that if I slid, fell, and scraped my knee, it wouldn’t just be a scab I’d receive, but also probably a torn ligament, messed up knee cap and potential surgery with months long recovery time. No, I know those days are gone, but I can still go rock climbing, I can still get out in the kayak, I can still hike steep mountains, and play basketball, lacrosse, and wrestle with my children. But I can do that because I put in the effort daily, weekly, monthly so that I can. Not only do I weigh less than when I met my wife over 20 years ago, I also feel I may be stronger as well. To be honest here, I owe a lot of who I am physically to my wife. Without her, I wouldn’t eat nearly as healthy as I do.

So how does one cultivate and maintain their inner child physically for as long as possible? I for one have a routine that I generally stick to on a daily and weekly basis. Almost every morning I am out of the house and in the woods hiking with Bernard my dog (there have been a few pictures of him in posts) for about 2 miles. Some days I’ll do an extra 2 in the afternoon with my wife. Those daily 2 miles keep my legs in shape, gives me fresh air and wakes me up. On top of that, I have a simple workout regimen that I have been following for years now. I don’t belong to any gym. Rather, all I have is a TRX strap and some free weights at my house that allow me to do a full upper body workout 3 days a week. I rotate through different exercises on those three days, but it’s all upper body. (I am on me feet all day for work, climbing ladders, squatting and bending so I bypass a leg workout). That regimen in addition to maintaining my strength, helps keep at bay those aches and pains that would creep in more quickly if I didn’t work out. Lastly, I eat healthy. I haven’t eaten at a fast food restaraunt like Burger King or McDonalds in probably close to 15 years, I don’t drink soda, limit my alcohol intake mostly, and eat lots of fresh food. Is my diet perfect? No, I love chocolate, but I do the best I can and I have just recently started extending my time between meals during the day. I’ll typically have breakfast at 6, a smoothie through the morning, skip lunch, and then on to dinner. I don’t fully fast during that time, but it’s pretty damn close. Lastly, I try not to take any medications for normal colds and ailments letting my body do the healing and I get adjusted by a chiropractor once a week. All those things add up to helping me feel younger than I am.

It all comes down to how long we want to be able to remain physically active with the least amount of aches and pains possible. Do we want to feel like we still have an inner child that’s full of energy ready to tackle the day? Or would we rather be that sedentary middle aged adult who complains about the latest ache or medication they are on? I choose the inner child. By keeping my body strong and healthy, I am also helping my mind to remain healthy as well. Every part of our body is interconnected. We can’t neglect our body and expect our mind to be top notch. The body is the first line of defense. If we take care of the body, the rest will be easier to take care of. Establish a routine for working out and remaining active. The more you enforce that routine, the more likely you’ll be to continue it. I know whenever I take a break from working out (which isn’t often), the hardest part is starting back up again. Maintain a routine, make it a habit, and the rest will follow. What do you want your body to look and feel like in 10, 15, 20 years? Do you want to still be able to play with your children when they are teenagers and beyond? What about your grandkids if and when you get them, will you be able to get down on the floor to play with them? Put in the work now so your body lasts longer and you keep that inner child going!