Transcription
I'm 53 and I'm pain free. But most people my age aren't. The difference isn't genetics or luck. It's the five things I consistently did in my 30s and my 40s. And if you start these today, you'll stay strong and capable for decades. Numbers four and five are huge.
Here's number one. Hang every day. It doesn't matter what you hang from. Rings, a bar, a tree branch, even a door frame. This isn't about pull-ups or getting jacked. It's about three things. Hanging preserves it. Second, spinal decompression. And your spine compresses all day from sitting, standing, and moving around. Hanging decompresses it. It takes pressure off your discs and creates space in your vertebrae. Third, shoulder health. Now, hanging keeps your shoulders mobile and strong overhead. And most people lose this in their 30s and their 40s, then wonder why their shoulders hurt at 50. Just start where you're at. 10 seconds, that's cool. 20 seconds, even better. The thing is, I'd like to see you to work up to one minute and do it every single day. Now, I got a full article linked in the description with programming and progressions.
Number two, focus on mobility. Not just stretching, but actual mobility where you're moving your body through full ranges of motion under control. Here's what most people miss. You're losing range of motion every year in your 30s and 40s. You just don't notice it because it's gradual. Then one day you can't tie your shoes without your back hurting. Then you can't get down on the floor and back up without using your hands. The cool thing is that the solution isn't complicated. Just move your body through different ranges every day where you're using level changes going from standing to the ground and back up. Now, this isn't some hour long mobility session. 5 to 10 minutes a day is great. Just be consistent. Maintain what you have. Slowly expand it. Our element program walks you through all of this step by step.
And number three, strength train. Yep, this one's obvious. Everyone knows they should strength train. But here's what matters in your 30s and your 40s. It's not that you just do it, it's how you do it. Most people in their 30s and 40s are still training like they're 22 years old. They're chasing PRs, pushing through pain, ignoring warning signs, and then they're injured at 50 and wondering why. Now, here's a shift. Train for capability, not numbers. Can you pick something heavy off the floor with good mechanics? Can you carry it? Can you push and pull in different planes? It could be lifting weights, using rings, going through a program like integral strength, even just picking heavy things up and carrying them. And yes, we do have a full article with programming on heavy carries. The key, do it in a way that builds you up instead of breaking you down.
Now, these next two points, they're critical, but most people get completely lost on them. Number four, and this is one of the two most important, figure out your why. What activity do you actually want to be doing at 60, at 70? And not just stay in shape or be healthy. What specific thing? For me, it's judo. I want to train martial arts, roll on the mat, and teach classes well into my 60s and beyond. That's my why. Because I have that specific goal. My training has direction. Most people train just to train. Random workouts with no purpose. 6 months later, they quit. That's because there's no reason to keep going. But when you have a specific activity you're training for, hiking, surfing, martial arts, whatever your training has meaning, you're not just exercising. You're preparing for something you love. Now, right now, I want you to think about it. What's your activity? What do you still want to be doing in 20 years from now? That's your training goal.
And number five is possibly the most important one. Find a community of people who will support you and train with you. Here's what the research shows. People with a strong sense of purpose plus a supportive community, they live longer, healthier lives. It's not just the exercise, it's the social connection, the accountability, and the shared experience. If you're training alone, you're statistically more likely to quit within 6 months. But when you have people to show up with you, push you, and celebrate your progress, you stick with it, just like the people in our Alpha Posi community. Now, this could be a gym community, a martial arts school, a running group, an online training community. Whatever it is, find your people and train with them consistently. I've been a part of training communities for decades and it's made all the difference. And as a matter of fact, that's exactly how I met Andy and Jarlo.
So there they are, five non-negotiables. Hang every day, focus on mobility, strength train the right way, find your why, and find your community. If you start implementing these in your 30s and your 40s, in 20 years from now, you're going to look back and thank yourself. And I've got full articles with programming for each of these linked in the description below. And be sure to watch this next video where I show you why most people strength training is actually making them weaker as they age.