To regain the level of athleticism and health I have today, I had to unlearn much of what I was taught about health and athletic performance in high school and college. I wouldn’t wish my experience on anyone, but the reality is that many people today are developing autoimmune issues or other diseases much earlier than I did, which happened in my late 30s. No matter what the mainstream tells you, there is hope and a way out!

I often observe this in athletes and coaches who train for athleticism but neglect to train for health and longevity. Many have been conditioned into an outdated understanding of sports and athleticism, missing crucial aspects of what it takes to age into the later years of life while remaining healthy, happy, and capable of performing mentally, emotionally, and physically.

This leads me to question: Is a young athlete performing well on the standard American diet and lifestyle truly athletic, or are they simply benefiting from the vigor of youth? Navigating today’s perspectives on sports science can be challenging, especially when many who teach these lessons have themselves lost their own athleticism. Unfortunately, much of their advice may lead to the same outcome: falling out of shape and adopting the standard American mindset that aging inevitably leads to a loss of athletic ability. This mindset doesn’t support longevity or serve an individual.

I don’t judge anyone and often gain valuable insights from coaches who have lost some of their athleticism and health. However, if they present themselves as authorities who dictate rather than guide and support, I recognize their true nature and often don’t take them seriously. I learned not to give much weight to these types of voices when, as a young athlete, my coaches dismissed the sports I enjoyed as not being “real” sports.

The key, I’ve found, is to train for athleticism in a way that enhances mental, physical, and emotional performance and to apply this approach to life itself. If you then want to focus on specific activities or sports, you’ll have a solid foundation to build upon.

I played traditional sports when I was younger and now realize that I made the starting lineup without putting much effort into it. But as I grew into my 40s and lived through a grueling battle with autoimmune responses that nearly broke me, I’ve come to understand what it truly takes to be athletic. 

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➡️ It’s Only Worth It If You Work For It

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