The Aging Body

The Aging Body

Agenda:
In this episode, we talk about what it's like to physically age.
Hair, hearing, eyes, teeth, shoulders, all change with age.
The counterattack: yoga, movement, foam roller, cold immersion, breathwork, working the core.

Here's the link to our video

Peter: In this episode, we will have a brief discussion on what it's like to physically age. What it’s like to get older. Starting in the morning, just getting out of bed feeling good is an accomplishment. Typically, I get out of bed feeling a bit stiff all over, especially in my back. Compared to 30 or 40 years ago 40 years ago when I would get up and go for a run, now I could not get up and do that. I need to be slow and methodical. David does a lot of stretching in the morning. I do that too. That's part of my routine.

Starting with the top, here are some things that I've experienced aging. My hair is different now; there's less hair and it's a different color now. I actually like this color better than my original brown. I think it's a nice color on me. It contrasts well with my black shirt.

And my hearing is not as good as it used to be. As far as my eyes are concerned, I’ve had cataract surgery. My teeth, well, I just had a tooth pulled a couple months ago.

And then there’s my shoulders; torn labrum in my right shoulder, torn pectoralis on my left, and arthritis in both shoulders. Watching David do pull-ups is a very humbling experience. I'm working my way there. I want to be able to do 10 pull-ups again like I used to. But the shoulder is holding me back a little bit.

David, you don't look like you have many ailments. You look like you're feeling good there, brother.

David: I'm feeling pretty good. I'm pretty lucky. I got a full head of hair. Is it on straight? Might be a little crooked. Everything's going pretty well. I have a few minor things, but I feel very lucky. I had a little hearing issue. I had some hearing loss, about 50%, in my right ear. I went to an ENT. I saw a whole bunch of ENT specialists and they wanted to put me on steroids. I'm not a fan of steroids. I don't know who is. I opted for no steroids. I thought I would ride out a little bit. A month went by, and it went away, and now I have full hearing back. I feel very lucky.

Peter: Compare yourself to 30 years ago. Would you say you're as strong in the gym as 30 years ago or have you lost muscle strength?

David: I'm as strong as I was 30 years ago, but I'm not as agile. Like 30 years ago, I would be at the gym in a room with just mats all over the floor. I could run and dive onto the mat and roll (like a somersault) and then get back up on my feet, all in one motion. I can't do that anymore. It’s less like a gymnast, more like martial arts.  I can’t do that anymore. So, there are some limitations. I'm not as agile. I'm not as flexible. I'm just not like I was.

Peter: One thing I remember when I first met David was, he was involved in Muay Thai boxing. It’s a martial art. Tell us about that.

David: In my first year here, I came on an education visa and the education was in Muay Thai. I joined a school and went twice a week, and they taught me some Muay Thai, and I learned a lot. It was really a fantastic experience. But it got a little much for me in the ring sparring with 20-year-old kids. Not that they were trying to hurt me, but they're just on a whole different level than I am. And I would often come out of the ring hurt.

Peter: They beat you up? You let a 20-year-old kid beat your ass, huh?

David: Yeah, kind of. Well, I know, I'm getting soft in my old age. But it was too much. I finished the year education visa and I'm done with that. It was a little intimidating.

Peter: I have to hand it to David for trying Muay Thai. The way I look at it is that we're all aging. It's an inevitability. There are some things I do to counterattack my physical aging.

I know yoga has been very helpful for me. I watch David stretching and I think he's accomplishing a lot of what I accomplish in yoga. He just has a routine and a lifestyle and a way of incorporating flexibility all the time regularly throughout the day.

David: I think the key to physical health is movement. I mean, you have got to start with the movement. If you start with that, the exercise will go well. Work the movement into your whole daily routine all day. Even if you're in the office, if you're working at a desk, just stand up and stretch, bend over all the way. Even in your seat you can stretch. Every chance you get, just stretch. It'll make your life a lot better.

Peter: In terms of cramps, pain spots, and stiffness one thing I really love is the foam roller. I highly recommend it. I got one from Amazon. It cost $15. Plus $15 to ship to Thailand. It's an Amazon Basics black, round and hard. It’s roughly 24 inches long and 6 inches in diameter. It's transformative.

David: I've got to try the foam roller. I don't use it at all. Both my kids have said, "Dad, that roller is going to change everything for you."

Peter: Another one is cold immersion. Recently, my friend and I went to The Old City Spa here in Chiang Mai. They have ice baths, saunas, and a steam room. I love the cold water. It feels so good. It reduces inflammation, helps mental focus, boosts metabolism. There're so many benefits.

Another one is breathwork. I do breathwork before I go to sleep at night. I do a Box Breathing technique. It takes me maybe 15 minutes. I won't get into the details now. It helps me fall asleep, stay asleep, and keeps me relaxed. I still don't have a perfect night sleep. I wake up and use the toilet, sometimes twice in the middle of the night. Usually, I can fall back asleep pretty easily.

Peter: The good thing about having a friend who is huge into health and wellness, fitness, nutrition, etc. is we share stories and ideas. We learn from each other.

One more thing we will talk about later is working the core. I've been working my core a lot more since meeting David. I'm going to continue focus on that as I've realized that it's actually one of my weak parts.

David: The core is a tough one to concentrate on. It requires real concentration. You need to focus on the trunk. It's hard to train that group of muscles, but it's crucial.

Peter: David, I want to say thank you very much for taking the time to be in this video.

David: My pleasure, Peter. Thank you for inviting me.

Thank you!
Peter 

Here's the link to our video

Here are the links from the video description:
- The video location at a jungle cafe: Wild Coffee & Bistro
- David's photography: here
- Sleep newsletter: here
- Amazon foam roller: here
- Cold water newsletter: here
- The Old City Spa - Ice baths, saunas, Thai herbal steam room: here