Here's something I'd like you to think about.

What do you want to be doing when you're 70? Or 80?

Perhaps you want to travel. Play golf. Go hiking. Spend time in the garden. Play with your grandchildren. Or simply get up in the morning, go about your day and not have to think too much about what your body can and can't do.

Now here's the next question.

Are you doing anything today to help make that possible?

It's not just about living longer

There's a term you might have heard called healthspan.

We all know about lifespan which refers to how long we live.

Healthspan is about how many of those years we spend in good health.

And while we can't control everything that happens as we get older, there are certainly things we can do to improve our chances of staying healthy and capable.

That's what interests me. Not just adding years to our lives, but adding life to those years.

What we do now matters later

I think sometimes we look at exercise through a very short-term lens. We want to lose a few kilos. Improve our fitness. Look a little better. Feel better in our clothes.

And there's absolutely nothing wrong with any of those goals.

But there's another reason to exercise that doesn't always get enough attention.

The person you're going to be in 10, 20 or 30 years.

Because the strength, fitness and physical capability we develop and maintain today can make a real difference to what we're able to do later.

Think about it.

Strong legs make getting out of a chair, climbing stairs and walking up hills easier.

Good cardiovascular fitness helps us keep moving without becoming exhausted.

Maintaining muscle helps us continue doing the physical things we enjoy.

And regular movement helps us maintain mobility and confidence in our bodies.

None of these things guarantees a healthy old age.

But they certainly help improve our chances.

You don't need to train like an athlete

Here's the good news. You don't need to spend hours in the gym every day. You don't need to run marathons. And you certainly don't need to become obsessed with exercise.

What matters is building a routine that you can maintain: some cardiovascular exercise, some structured strength training, regular movement throughout your day, good nutrition and enough recovery.

Not occasionally. Consistently.

Over months. Over years. And hopefully, over decades.

What are you training for?

I often talk about the importance of being strong as we age but it's not really about how much weight you can lift.

It's about what that strength allows you to do like the holiday where you can walk all day, the garden you can still look after, the grandchildren you can get down on the floor and play with or the independence to keep doing things for yourself.

That's the bigger picture.

And it's one of the reasons I'm so passionate about what we do at Excite.

We're not just exercising for the next few weeks.

We're investing in the years ahead.

Chris' Challenge

This week, I'd like you to think of one thing you want to still be doing when you're 70 or 80.

Something that matters to you.

Then ask yourself:

What am I doing today to help make that possible?

Because the best time to start preparing for those years isn't when we get there.

It's now.

Yours in health and fitness,

Chris

P.S. Whether it's through our I.C.E. classes or structured F.I.R.E. strength training, our goal at Excite is to help you stay fit, strong and capable for the years ahead.

If you'd like to explore how we can help, just REPLY to this EMAIL and let's have a chat.