Work

Maria... working; photo courtesy: Guerrilla Fitness

Suzanne Somers has a goal. She wants to be sexy and sultry and still looking like she’s in her 40’s at the ripe old age of 110. But her path to get there is somewhat unusual.

Suzanne’s path, featured in Newsweek magazine with a cover that read, “Crazy Talk: Oprah, Wacky Cures and You”, was quite amusing. The article chronicled Oprah’s guests, Suzanne among them, and their questionable health and fitness advice. I think what the article correctly points out is these folks’ mere appearance on Oprah’s show lend them instant credibility. It’s a testament to Oprah’s influence. An influence surpassed by very few.

In particular the article talks about Suzanne and her, to put it mildly, alternative approach to staying youthful including inserting hormones directly into her vagina. The article clearly paints Suzanne and many other celebrity and pseudo-health care professional guests of Oprah as a little wacky to say the least.

What’s clearly evident, and the article only confirms this, is that we are all looking for answers. But there is something peculiar about the human condition where we will shun the simple for the complex. Seems to me, Suzanne and Oprah’s typical guest and Oprah fans are either touting or looking for a magic pill. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not picking on Oprah and her followers. They reflect the thoughts and desires of most of us – we want the easy way out. When it comes to our bodies and our longevity, this is especially true. For women who want to take a few years off their appearance, Oprah will have some dude come on her show willing to sew, with a needle and thread, someones face tighter. But I’ll let you go read the article.

There are plenty of healthy and youthful looking people in the world. And the vast majority of them have followed some similar path to getting there. What is the common denominator?

Work.

It’s pretty much that simple. Like Suzanne, I want to live to 110 years old. I want to stay young and sexy too. In fact, what I really want is the body of my youth – the six-pack abs, the buns of steel, the speed of a gazelle and the endurance of well, a 21-year-old. But I’m convinced getting to that ripe old age, and looking good while I do it, will not be easy. I believe it will take some work. In fact, most of us who have been successful at anything have worked for it. But I’m willing to do it. I’m aware my goal may be lofty given where I was then versus where I am now. I rarely work out and hate to diet and I have these things lovingly called “handles” around my waistline. Not to mention I’m older than the number on my college football jersey (#37), entering what actuarial scientists call, “middle-age”. But I think it can be done. All it will take is work. There is no secret ingredient. It’s just work. Simple, but not easy, work.

How will I work toward my goal of perpetual young-boy health and sexiness? Here is my formula distilled into four steps.

Move. Eat. Rest. Repeat.

This stuff is nothing new. And the “work” involved does not include looking for a magic pill. This ain’t rocket science and it doesn’t take 60 supplements a day or eating nothing but maple syrup and lettuce or some other cock-eyed diet.

Move, Eat, Rest, Repeat is so simple yet few will do it. How many of us are willing to push iron ala squatting many pounds greater than our bodyweight, repeatedly? How many of us voluntarily run in shitty weather fast and far enough that our lungs start feeling like they’re on fire? How many of us are willing to eat the foods that are good for us but boring? Or get even six hours sleep let alone eight? But this is the exact formula that nearly everyone who is healthy and fit has followed.  The particulars (How do you move? What do you eat? How much do you rest? How often to do you repeat?) are almost beside the point.

Don’t get me wrong. Like I said earlier, I’ve been avoiding the work for a while. But some recent news (which I will get to in another post) made me realize I was not only failing me. I was failing The Babies. I have failed to instill in them, Move, Eat, Rest, Repeat and it’s affected their health as well.

No more. I am on a mission. I know the work that needs to be done. It’s past time to do it.