Do Less or Do More? That is the Question of the Era

I turned 70 about six months ago and have noticed some changes in my physical ability, endurance and strength. I’m still very active, hiking up mountain trails at least once a week, doing strength training with a personal trainer one afternoon a week, working several mornings as a chef and take my dog for a mile jaunt almost every day.

It’s a full schedule and I enjoy all of it. But lately, I’ve been feeling a little less motivated and more fatigued. The immediate assumption is to blame it all on getting older. But I wonder.

So, I’ve set out on a quest to survey my peers and get their insights into when to adjust routines and how to tell if it’s physically necessary.

Antidotal Evidence

I asked my 80-year-old neighbor who I often find running the trails as I’m hiking. He explained his theory: “We can still do everything we’ve always done, but now must do it a little slower and more carefully.” A pragmatic and logical response, from a retired physician, not surprising.

I next quizzed my 93-year-old friend who I’ve always admired for her enthusiastic approach to life. She explained over a delicious lunch she prepared for me, that when her dog was failing, she reduced the length of her morning walks as to not exhaust him. After her beloved companion passed, she resumed her two-mile morning walks and reports feeling a renewed level of energy and reduction of body aches. She assured me that keeping her body performing at its upper limits is her secret to excellent health and well-being.

Another friend, just a few years my senior, does yoga at a weekly class. She credits her participation with keeping her feeling safe, confident and capable of doing whatever she feels inclined, knowing her balance and flexibility are up to the challenge.

The Data and Recommendations

I next queried the authorities. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, those over 65 should get an average of 2.5 hours of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise each week. Moderate to vigorous is described as any activity that causes increased heart rate and deeper breathing. (One should be able to talk but not sing!) It also recommends twice weekly sessions of strength training as well as activities like yoga and tai chi to maintain balance, improve proprioception and mobility.

I found more details on National Health Services of the United Kingdom, including a list of activities recommended for light, moderate and vigorous activities. It is important to note that things like digging in the garden, sweeping floors and biking to the market all count as physical activity.

To quote an article on the subject in the Harvard Health Publishing, from the Harvard School of Medicine, “Think about what motivates you to move – what are your reasons to get up in the morning? It might be family or social connections, volunteer work, shopping, participating in a cultural experience, enjoying nature, or walking a dog. Build more of these motivating experiences into your life to maintain your emotional and physical health.”

The Physiological Link to Motivation

Additional investigation reveals additional effects in play that can create an encouraging feedback loop. Exercise releases endorphins along with other chemical compounds that improve mood, a more optimistic and joyful mood motivates us to go out into the world and experience what we enjoy. The physical activity feeds our brain and our brain convinces us to keep going to enjoy the benefits.

The Secondary Benefit of Being Active and Engaged

There is also another component that seems to impact the determination to exercise and stay healthy and that is optimizing the experience, identifying the secondary benefit to the activity. My yoga friend enjoys the company of the others in her class and looks forward to seeing them. My trail running friend cherishes his time in nature and my elderly friend who is still walking miles every day relates that she feels a sense of accomplishment with every step.

Do More

The results of my informal investigation are not really surprising, but bear illuminating for what I should have suspected but didn’t, those individuals who have a positive outlook on life, in general, are socially engaged and active, who take good care of their bodies with adequate nutrition and physical activity responded unanimously that we must push ourselves through the times when we lack motivation and still work our bodies beyond our comfort.

So, it seems, the remedy to my recent decrease in motivation and enthusiasm for workouts, might simply be a good pep talk, a shift in outlook and coming up with some very good reasons why I should.

I have a sense these speed bumps are going to present themselves more often on the road through this decade and it feels good to know they are normal and just part of learning how to fully enjoy each era of this long life.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What is your motivation to get up in the morning? Are there certain activities that energize you? How would you classify your state of well-being?