Right. Like that could be a thing. And if it were a thing, like somebody would admit it. 🤣

I’ll go first. 👋

I don’t know as much about health and fitness as I thought. I don’t even know what I don’t know about some topics.

And if you think it was hard to admit that, I’ll say that was the easy part. I found it freeing. If you’d rather sunbathe in the buff on a nail bed outside a research station in Antarctica during a blizzard than admit it, I get it.

I was a teenager once, too. That’s about when this s*** started.

Movie reference to make a point time! (Get used to these.)

In the blockbuster motion picture The Matrix, Keanu Reeves’ Neo is a computer programmer and hacker who wants to understand the Matrix’s meaning. This leads him on a quest to fulfill his destiny as a pivotal figure in the human resistance.

Are you ready for the red pill, Neo?

Because the good news is, unlike the world of The Matrix, where Neo is “the One,” you can be “the One” in your life’s story. You just have to be willing to swallow the red pill.

And once you know the truth about health and fitness, what’ll it take to alter your destiny?

Breaking generational patterns and habits. 😱

That’s right: In your life’s movie, you’ll have to break out of – to paraphrase Morpheus – “the prison that is your mind.”

That means letting go of your preconceived notions. Like Rose let go of Jack in that frigid Atlantic water on that fateful night after the Titanic sunk, you have to let go (Granted, my interpretation of the ending may differ a bit from yours).

Consider what you learned about health and fitness growing up:

Who were your sources? Any experts in there, or did you gain your knowledge through osmosis?

Maybe trial and error?

What about training montages from your favorite action movies?

Here are a few examples of conventional “wisdom.” How many do you believe?

🧠 Cognitive decline is inevitable as you age.

😴 You can always catch up on lost sleep.

🍷 One to two alcoholic drinks per day is good for the heart.

I once believed all of them. Some people still do. Others don’t give it much, if any, thought. I wish them a charmed life.

It can be tough to rethink what you know when everything seems to be going right. You’ve built your routine around what you think is working so well for you. The denial can be strong.

I know it was for me.

I’m a thirty-year martial artist with two black belts. I never worked with an expert to learn to stretch, strength train, or improve my cardio fitness.

Instead, I went the DIY route, observing others, maybe skimming a book or two, and in more recent years, watching videos.

Thanks to my active lifestyle, my doctors consider me more fit than most patients they see. And I still appreciate the short-term gains – dopamine and serotonin rushes – as much as the long-term ones – increased muscle mass, refined skills, greater endurance.

Sounds like a win-win, right? It would’ve been, had I been more strategic about it: I’m also recovering from my third back surgery as I write this. 😱 I’ll cover that horror trilogy in a future post.   

In the weeks before I re-injured (re-re-re-injured?) myself, I’d imagine my body sounded like Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher: “Remember: You wanted this.”

Not anymore. Time for a new plan.   

I can’t even call this a pivot because I’m starting from scratch. Scientists are perpetually seeking and sharing insights about how our bodies work and how we can work with it to strengthen it.

As I strive to improve my quality of life, I’ll share what I learn. I’ll share my progress. The good and the bad. I don’t expect this to be easy.

I do expect it to be well worth my while. And it’s not just about me.

First, my wife and daughter deserve the best me I can give them. I want to make joyful memories with them. I don’t want them to become my caregiver if I can help it.

Second, you. If this post resonates with you, then let’s support each other, grow healthier and stronger, and live longer together.

Want more control over your health and less reliance on pharmaceuticals, familial patterns, and “fate?”

Want to work smarter and not harder for health & fitness results?

Want to give yourself and your love ones the gift of your best life?

Then let the pattern-breaking begin.

Get health & fitness infotainment in your inbox every Sunday so you can follow my journey for a healthier, longer, active, fulfilling life.

Welcome to The Longevity Lifestyle.

Happy Independence Day!