I don’t remember exactly when I stopped thinking about fitness in terms of looking younger and started thinking about what I wanted to be able to do as I got older. I don’t think there was one particular moment. It was probably a combination of getting older, watching other people age, and realizing that the activities I enjoy require a certain amount of physical ability.
These days, I’m much more interested in being able to walk around a city for an afternoon, carry my own luggage, keep up with a busy travel schedule, and have enough energy left to enjoy dinner afterward than I am in trying to look like I did at 25.
That doesn’t mean I’ve stopped caring about my appearance or that I always make the healthiest decisions. I still have days when I’d rather sit down than exercise. But my reasons for staying active have changed, and I think they’re better reasons than the ones I had when I was younger.
Travel Has Changed the Way I Think About Fitness
I’ve spent more than 20 years organizing group travel, and one thing I’ve learned is that travel can be surprisingly physical.
A day exploring Washington, D.C., might involve walking between monuments, spending hours inside museums, and standing while waiting for transportation. In New York City, even a relatively straightforward itinerary can involve more walking than someone might expect.
When you’re younger, you don’t always think about those things. You assume you’ll have the energy to get through the day, and most of the time, you do.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more conscious of how much physical ability contributes to enjoying those experiences.
I don’t want to reach a point where I’m turning down an interesting trip because I’m worried about keeping up. I want to be able to explore a new city without spending the entire time wondering when I can sit down.
That has become a much more practical motivation for staying active.
I’m Not Trying to Compete With My Younger Self
I think one of the traps people fall into as they get older is constantly comparing themselves with who they used to be.
Maybe you could run faster in your twenties, recover more quickly after a long day, or get away with eating whatever you wanted without thinking much about it.
It’s easy to look at those changes as evidence that you’re losing something.
I’ve started looking at them differently. I’m not particularly interested in proving that I can still do everything I did decades ago. I’d rather figure out what I need to do now to remain healthy, independent, and active in the years ahead.
That might mean choosing an activity I can maintain consistently instead of pushing myself through an exhausting workout. It might mean recognizing when I need more recovery time or accepting that some things require more preparation than they once did.
I don’t always enjoy making those adjustments. There is a certain satisfaction in believing you can still do everything the way you always have.
But I’ve come to think that being realistic about your abilities is more useful than pretending they haven’t changed.
Watching Other People Stay Active Has Influenced Me
One of the more interesting experiences I’ve had through Champ Tours was expanding our Broadway travel experiences to include active seniors.
The idea originally came from my father, Art, who suggested that older adults might enjoy the same types of cultural trips I had been organizing for younger travelers.
We eventually worked with the Sun City Roseville Travel Club on a Broadway Experience that included 23 participants. Three of those travelers were 86 years old.
I found that encouraging.
I don’t know every detail of how those individuals maintained their health over the years, and I wouldn’t pretend that everyone has the same physical abilities or circumstances. But seeing older adults interested in traveling, attending performances, and participating in group experiences made me think more seriously about what I want my own later years to look like.
I don’t necessarily want to be the oldest person on a group trip. But if I reach my eighties and still have the ability and enthusiasm to explore somewhere new, I’ll consider that a pretty good outcome.
Staying Active Is About More Than Exercise
When people talk about fitness, the conversation often turns immediately to workouts, weight, or appearance.
Those things can matter, but I think the bigger question is what you’re trying to maintain your health for.
For me, the answer includes travel, family, work, and the ability to enjoy everyday life without unnecessary limitations.
I want to have the energy to spend time with people I care about. I want to continue building Champ Tours without feeling completely exhausted by the demands of running a business. I also want to remain physically capable of participating in the experiences I organize.
That doesn’t mean fitness solves every problem. People can take excellent care of themselves and still experience health challenges. Aging also brings changes that aren’t always within our control.
I think it’s important to acknowledge that, because otherwise conversations about staying healthy can start sounding as though everyone has complete control over how they age.
What interests me is doing what I reasonably can with the circumstances I have.
I’ve Learned That Rest Is Part of the Equation
One thing I appreciate more now than I did when I was younger is the value of rest.
There was a time when I probably would have viewed taking a break as something you did after finishing everything else. The problem is that there’s almost always something else to do.
Running a business can make that especially difficult. There’s another email to answer, another detail to check, or another idea worth exploring.
I’ve had to think more carefully about whether staying busy is actually helping me accomplish anything.
The same question applies to fitness. If I’m tired, sore, or running on too little sleep, is pushing through another workout really the best decision? Sometimes it might be reasonable to continue. Other times, recovery is probably the smarter choice.
I’m still learning how to make those distinctions.
I don’t want to use getting older as an excuse to avoid challenging myself, but I also don’t want to confuse unnecessary exhaustion with progress.
My Priorities Have Become More Practical
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve noticed that my goals have become less about impressing anyone and more about protecting the parts of life I enjoy.
My Christian faith and my family both influence how I think about those priorities. I believe we have responsibilities to the people around us, and taking reasonable care of ourselves can be part of meeting those responsibilities.
Of course, there are limits to that idea. Health isn’t a measure of someone’s character, and needing help doesn’t make a person less valuable or less independent in any meaningful sense.
Still, I think there’s something worthwhile about making an effort to preserve the abilities we have.
I don’t need to complete an extreme fitness challenge to feel successful. Being able to handle a full day of travel, spend time with family, and wake up ready for whatever needs my attention is enough motivation for me.
I Want to Keep Saying Yes to New Experiences
When I think about the next 10 or 20 years, I don’t spend much time imagining how young I might look.
I think about the places I haven’t visited, the experiences I’d still like to have, and the people I want to share them with.
I know I won’t have complete control over what those years look like. Nobody does. But I can make choices today that may improve my chances of remaining active and involved in the things that matter to me.
Some days, that means exercising when I’d rather do something else. Other days, it means getting enough rest or recognizing that I need to adjust my expectations.
I’m not interested in pretending that aging isn’t happening. I’ve had enough life experience to appreciate that getting older also brings perspective, patience, and a clearer understanding of what’s important.
What I want is to keep the ability to act on that perspective.
If I’m still exploring new places, spending meaningful time with family, and participating in the activities I enjoy years from now, I won’t be particularly concerned about whether I look younger than my age.
I’ll be grateful that I’m still able to do those things.