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Hey, to chip in: try cardio, especially running. Men loose muscle mass with age, as you are already aware, resistance training is important, but cardio should be on top of your list. I was there with you in terms of brain fog, general mental slowdown, what is called cognitive decline, and mind you, I presume we are healthy, without cognitive degeneration or serius injuries or conditions. Running 3 times per week should get you on track in about a month. Try it and notice the difference. We are made for movement. If you're healthy and don't feel like running, in my case, i immediately know i should be doing the thing I don't feel like doing. Running. 1x interval training, 1x hill repeats, 1, long run in cardio zone 2. If you can, get s Garmin watch. Stats will help you maintain focus on the big picture. Streaks can help reframe for consistency. I started training when corona hit, this is the best I've felt ever. Slowly progressed to cycling on off days for better recovery. Bought smart watches for friends, now we keep each other in check, we sometimes even meet at the pool at 6 am for a quick swim session. I now do some kind of activity 6 times per week. If i ever stop working on software, I'll help others train and get better to feel good and feel healthy - that's how much it gave me and i absolutely love it. hint: optimize for training the next 20-30 years (I'm 39) which means injury prevention, recovery activities, everything else as nutrition and rest follows as you observe your own body and get in tune with what it needs. Honest good luck to you, I'm excited for you! |
I've always been a runner of sorts, but not super consistent. On average I would say I run 2-3 miles a week. But that could mean 15 miles in 1 week, followed by 2-3 weeks of low, or even zero running.
My main problem is consistency and I can only hazard a guess that its consistency that produces the really beneficial effects? Because on those weeks where I do run a lot, I generally don't feel much better. In fact, in the last 2 years I've started feeling worse. Beat down, tired, and not energized by the run.
I've recently tried going from distance running (5 miles) to speed running. I'll run two miles, in a 6:30 pace, rather than 5 miles in a 8:00 pace.
The result is actually a much more brutal feeling, with much heavier breathing, and much more soreness. But surprisingly, I actually feel a little bit of that positive feeling. I've only JUST started doing this so its too early to tell, but the really high cardio and heavy breathing seems like it may have some potential to reverse some of the negatives I've accrued.
To sum it up - I've actually always been active and I'm in good/ok shape, but I generally am not really pushing it. I run distance, not speed. I rest a lot. Maybe I'm just not active ENOUGH.