Keep Swinging Through 50 (and Beyond)

Ok, so it turns out that Mike Tyson doesn’t quite have what he used to in the boxing ring.

Maybe it was all just for a payday and he really didn’t put a ton of effort into training or actually trying to win.

Maybe he really did give it everything he had, and maybe what we saw on Friday was all that he could possibly muster.

Either way, the fact of the matter is that, regardless of what he was able to provide entertainment value wise, he won a lot of points for the “let’s do amazing stuff for the rest of our lives” contingent.

Perhaps getting in a ring with another person and doing your best to knock their head off with your fists isn’t what you’d describe as “amazing stuff”, but it should be noted that the human body is incredibly capable for decades more than most people think.

But, to all of the people out there who say, “it’s all downhill after 40”, and who give up on doing the things they love because they think it’s not possible to go down swinging, Iron Mike just landed some good shots to the counter.

Will you be able to be as good or as resilient or as relatively amazing as you were in your 20’s?

It’s likely that no, you won’t.

But that’s no reason to not try and to still participate in the things that you love and to keep maintaining your body in a way that allows you to do those things.

Whether it’s skiing or surfing or adventuring, it’s not just a slow slide into the grave after 40 (or 70).

Regardless of age, the body will always respond to training. It will always adapt to the stresses that you impart upon it.

So lace up your gloves and get out there.

Set your sights on spending the rest of your life doing the things that you love.

And if it strikes your fancy, keep your body in good enough shape to show your bare ass on TV at 60.