Today was a busy, interesting Sunday filled with grunts, screams and reflections from middle-aged fathers about health and wellness. To be specific, I had conversations with two dads which at some point centered around the reality that maintaining a healthy routine was an ongoing battle. We agreed that it was the daily struggle of our lives to balance our health with the responsibility of being dads among our other roles, e.g., spouses, employees, etc.
My first conversation was over chai after a late morning workout at our local Planet Fitness. I followed a Gemini (AI) generated workout plan, which kicked our butts. Afterwards, we chatted at an Indian café about life, work and what it takes to preserve/build muscle at our age. My friend commended my muscle building over the past few years, while I gave him props for his nutrition and weight loss focus. We definitely can help each other reach new goals – muscle growth for him and weight loss (10-15 lbs.) for me.
The Daily Struggle Within
One recurrent theme during our conversation was the daily struggle or war within to be dedicated to regular exercise and good eating habits. He gave me some great tips on managing my sugars and carbs, and he appreciated my demo(at the gym) on range of motion and progressive overload. I think he appreciates the fact that I don’t bother with any growth hormones and just use patience and grit to gradually increase my strength over time.
After our chat, I arrived home to screams from my lovely spouse because I enjoyed my dad time a little too long without checking in. Oops! After running a few errands, we met up with a few couples at one of our great parks in the area for steps, snacks, and boundless playtime for the kids. I got to catch up with another dad buddy to talk shop, life and fitness. He’s about a decade behind me so the onset of sarcopenia and slowed metabolism hasn’t quite hit yet, though he pointed out some early signs. This busy father, too, reiterated that it’s a daily struggle to find time to get in regular workouts when family and work obligations pile up.
A War Within the Mind
I confessed to him that I had experienced bouts of stress some nights which led me to a state “paralysis analysis,” or a point of overthinking that left me in rut. Sometimes life can feel like every decision is vital or consequential, and in the real world, we are sometimes linked with people whose emotions run uncontrollably high in certain situations, which can adversely affect one’s mental health. Sometimes the cumulative effect of stresses can raise cortisol and hunger levels to a point where it becomes so easy to lose good habits.
The daily struggle for health and wellness is really a war within the mind, which inevitable affects the body. I’m finally coming to terms with the reality that life will never be clean or ideal, and that I just have to move. The fear of failure isn’t an option as it’s bound to happen. What matters are the subsequent actions after having tried and failed, perhaps several times.