Thoughts On Being A Middle Aged Man

This past weekend, I went to play tennis.  This was the second week in a row I’ve made that trip.  My partner/opponent is new to the sport and we have a good time hitting the ball around the court.  But, during a break, we had a curious conversation.  He was asking me what I’ve been up to, and I mentioned this project; Live Fit Blog.

He seemed rather curious about what prompted me to start the project, so I gave him the background.  We don’t know one another real well yet, and he didn’t know me during what he called my “heavy” time.  At any rate, he said something that stuck with me, and left me scratching my head.  It was a comment about being “…middle aged…”.

I know he didn’t mean anything by it, but I’m not real sure how to take that.  At 36 years old, I’m at least a few years younger than he is, and I can’t say I consider myself a “middle aged man.”  I certainly don’t feel like I fit that term.  It got me thinking about what being middle aged actually means.  According to Wikipedia, middle age probably begins somewhere between 40 and 45, and is associated with things like increased body fat and reduced physical prowess.  By that definition, I don’t think I meet the criteria of middle aged - yet.

Through my teenage years, and into my 20’s, I was in good physical condition.  Yet over the last four years I’ve managed to complete some physical challenges that would have been elusive for me at that age.  But the conversation made me consider the fact that, eventually, age will place physical limits on my activities.  That is inevitable.  But, it has been shown that my choices today will dictate, at least in part, when and how those limitations will be presented.

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