My name is Mike and I am 59 years old and I have an autoimmune disease called Sjogren’s Syndrome. A few years ago, in many ways I was incapacitated with fatigue and inflammation throughout my body which are both symptoms of this terrible disease.
The disease was progressing much worse as indicate by my specialist doctor as my stress levels were too high due to many life challenges that all of us are presented with and can use as an excuse to stop trying.
I decided that I was not going to allow my condition to dominate my life and instead use it as motivation to excel. As part of my personal motivation I created this site to not only try to motivate others but to also motivate myself.
If an “old guy” like me with many strikes against me can do it then anyone can do it!
As of the date I am writing this introduction I can accomplish the following as of November 2021.
– Bench press 275 pounds
– 60 plus pushups daily in less than 90 seconds with chest to ground and great technique.
– Run a mile in less than 6 mins and 30 seconds.
I don’t say this to impress you but to impress upon you that we are only limited in so many ways by limiting believes. If you told me a few years ago I could bench press 275 pounds I would have said you were crazy.
We are given just one body and in so many ways when I was younger I did not appreciate and respect my body the way that I should have through alcohol abuse, poor eating, improper sleep patterns etc.
At almost 40 percent body fat and very high cortisone levels a few years ago, I was on a collision course with a graveyard. Every journey starts with the first step and if I can do it then you can do it, your friend can do it, anybody can do it.
I still suffer from extreme fatigue and some days I still find it very hard to get out of bed, let alone go to the guy but I force myself AND I DO IT. I eat lots of vegetables, I avoid processed food, as part of my exercise I have found that weights are the most important way to maintain strength and muscle tone.
Of course, this makes sense but most people as they get older forget weight training.
Please share your story with me and yes “YOU CAN DO IT”. Take baby steps! You are never too old or too fat or too sick to start. These are just excuses.
I also embrace modern preventative medicine such as NAD Therapy, Curcumin Treatments, IV Liver Detoxification etc. I also embrace modern medicine but believe the medical industry should focus much more on preventative care than reactionary care. We need both but right now it is 99 percent reactionary care.
We are given only one life and we are here for only a short time. Let’s live each day to the fullest in a body that we respect so we feel better and more productive.
Healthy Old Mike.
Healthy Old Mike’s July 2024 Update:
I do functional high interval training now at least 3x times per week. Recently I joined a full contact ball hockey league and many of the players remark the great shape that I am in as an older gentleman and some younger players in the 30s have said I have more strength and endurance then they do. This inspires me even more and I am hoping to inspire others to NEVER NEVER NEVER GIVE UP.
If you are overweight take control of your life. Start by making the right decisions every hour. Never overeat, cut sugar or for your health go sugarless, drink lots of water every day etc. etc. etc.
4 years ago, I went to Sjogren’s Syndrome Support Group and of the 5 people present, including myself they all attended in either wheelchairs or using a cane. From that moment I decided this would not be my destiny and I believe I am living proof that if you are determined you can overcome the situation you are dealt with. I have days where my fatigue makes it almost impossible to get out of bed, but I push through and force myself to still go to the gym.
I am certified disabled and again I have bad days, but I have days where I perform like an athlete. I use my mind to push through everything and not let this disease control me. I control it. Whenever I eat anything, I say to myself, “do I really want to put this into my body?”. It is amazing when you do these things the progress you will make.
My motivation for this site is to encourage everyone to live healthy. You will have days when you are tired, but you must still go to the gym. Anything worth having requires work. When I see overweight people who have all the advantages given to them, I want to shake them and tell them to cherish their gifts. So many people through unhealthy living are slowly killing themselves.
The benefits of exercise are countless and the sedimentary lifestyle we live can take years off our life if we stop moving and get our heart rate higher.
STOP MAKING EXCUSES.
IF I CAN DO IT THEN YOU CAN DO IT!!
