“It’s not the years, honey. It’s the mileage.”

by Tom Furman

This line is spoken by Indiana Jones, played by Harrison Ford, in the film Raiders of the Lost Ark, directed by Steven Spielberg (1981).

When Marion (Karen Allen) says to Indiana Jones, “You’re not the man I knew ten years ago,” he responds with his iconic charming/patronizing way of speaking to women: “It’s not the years, honey. It’s the mileage.” — Shmoop.com

Indeed, wear and tear may not stay neck and neck with the clock and calendar. Certainly physicians, particularly orthopedic surgeons would love us to die with pristine joints, but except for living in a laboratory, it’s not going to happen. If one chooses an active life, it involves calculated and uncalculated risks. To “mansplain”, let’s just say at times, “hold my beer” carries more weight than peer review.

While the disease known as aging steals strength, speed, size and mobility, mistakes and accidents can really throw up a road block. Remember aging injures, but injury also ages. Cardiovascular fitness, what we used to call, “wind”, drops off with neglect, weight gain and certainly smoking. We can’t do a lot about the passage of time and the biological clock, but we can avoid accidents, train with brains and not get sloppy about our health.

The tool or “Tao” to avoid rapid, unhealthy aging is to continue to train, eat well and avoid accidents. There are no short cuts. There are no hacks. There are no detoxes. There is work. There is discipline. There is showing up. Period.

The good news: we have a “drug” that is very effective at delaying the onset of death and preserving healthspan. This drug is called exercise, and nothing else rivals it. The bad news: it takes more time and effort than ingesting any pill or employing any “hack.” ~ Dr. Peter Attia

Doing the work rather than employing some gimmick is not popular. Speak of engaging in healthy exercise and the crowd will moan. However if you have some vitamin, pharmaceutical, pill, powder, jam, jelly or adult marmalade that magically turns back the clock employing vaporous pseudoscience and you will pack the stadium.

Doing the work can start with the heart and the ability to move. That generally means, to cover ground. We classify this under cardiovascular fitness.

Cardio-vascular training is defines as: “Any form of exercise that improves
heart and circulatory function and efficiency via central and peripheral
changes and aerobic and anaerobic energetic pathways.”
Cardio-vascular training has to 1) increase stroke volume of the LV and not
limit venous blood return to the RA, 2) deliver oxygen to the working
muscles and remove carbon-dioxide and [La], 3) increase capillary density
meaning it has to stimulate formation of new capillaries, 4) increase the
efficiency of the heart by increasing ejection fraction and increase the
efficiency of oxygen extraction by increasing the working AV O2-diff. and
5) improve aerobic and anaerobic energy turnover. ~ The Cardio Code by Kenneth Jay

That means, running, rucking, rowing, swimming, biking, cross country skiing. It does not mean lifting weights with little rest between sets. Lifting lighter weights repetitively, like Kettlebell Sport, (10 to 30 minute duration), has mixed results on the heart. Even these athletes participate in running or rowing as part of their training. — https://gsscience.com/kettlebell-heart-interview-with-dr-eddy-crendal/

Currently the term, “Zone 2” is used. Here is a definition from Crossfit Invictus -

Zone 2 training is typically the lowest zone used for training purposes. Think of it as going for a jog while you can still hold a conversation — somewhere between 60–70% of your maximum heart rate. The purpose behind Zone 2 training is to be able to sustain a pace just below your aerobic threshold for 30+ minutes.

Arriving at your, ‘target zone’ is easiest by way of the Maffetone Formula. Figure it out and you are good to go. Start your thinking with the ability to cover ground and creating stress on body so that it adapts. This is the bottom of the pyramid. It doesn’t mean you can’t build big guns too.

This basic idea of moving at an elevated heart rate for an extended period is both simple and powerful. If you read the fitness groups, particularly those devoted to bodybuilding and/or hormone replacement therapy, there will be someone proclaiming that, “prolong aerobic activity is catabolic and will destroy your hard earned muscle mass.” I’d suggest avoiding, “Bro-Quotes” and focus on the research that says otherwise.

The next component is strength and hypertrophy. There are many paths to the top of the mountain. You could pursue a strength sport such as power lifting, Olympic lifting, strong man, Highland games or just do bodybuilding. One could make arguments for each, but as you accrue “mileage”, seeking the path of low risk and optimal benefit might be a good idea. No exercise, not even the Holy Trinity of Squat-Bench Press-Deadlift is so important that you should destroy your joints chasing a dream that pays little more than a funny walk combined with aches and pains.

Years and years ago, coaches and parents didn’t believe in strength training. I’m speaking of the 60’s here. They had some archaic theory about being, “muscle bound”. Fundamentally they were largely uneducated in resistance training. Had they gone through an orthopedic injury, the prescription after initial stabilization would be physical therapy or resistance training. There also was and still is some strange division between doing bodyweight only exercise and lifting weights. As if you can’t do both. Bodyweight training or simple gymnastics was somehow, ‘pure’, and weightlifting was evil or senseless. Luckily athletics and research has moved far beyond this thought process. The general public is on the fence and that could be a fatal error.

Resistance training will maintain lean body mass, strengthen bones, improve the power to weight ratio and produce positive outcomes in many other health markers. It is, along with aerobic training, the most potent tool for both turning back the clock and resisting the aging process. Food supplements and longevity drugs aren’t even close. The program you adopt should minimize the risk of injury and allow for recovery. Small progress over years is the idea. Thirty day intensity programs are best used to get ‘likes’ on Instagram.

The last general area is that of mobility and flexibility. I’d rather not argue on the considerable area of overlap between these two. Let’s use some simple definitions here -

• Flexibility is defined as the range of motion around a joint.
• Mobility is the ability to move through that range of motion.

The thing is, you need both. There are simple ways to integrate these into workouts. There are also folks who devote most of their time to Yoga, which integrates flexibility, mobility and a certain level of static strength. It does not increase cardiovascular fitness despite what instructors say. It is also lacking in an upper body pull and a heavy ‘hinge’, which are both necessary for total body strength. It’s a great tool, but not the end all, be all that devotee’s want it to be. No amount of clapping will make Tinkerbell live in this case.

Putting this all together need not be complex. Many people like it to be. As if tweaking the spreadsheet a bit is magical. The truth is there are some important things you can do to manage the mileage -

• Record things. Use an app, online log or simply pencil and paper. This means all workouts and all foods you eat.
• Consistency. More often is better than, “killing it”. Showing up often is the secret sauce. Ask anyone who is good at anything.
• Small metrics are good. Rather than focusing on losing 100 lbs. quickly, simply write down your weight and waist every Monday morning.
• Don’t focus on the outcome or endpoint. The endpoint is death. Focus on the process. The daily habits and rituals that alter who you are.

Well that was a lot of reading and background. What about the methods?

“You’ve been dickin’ me around since we started this turd hunt!” ~ Jack Cates, 48 Hours.

Let’s address aerobics. The most important point is that it has to be manageable enough to do it. If it is an uphill sled drag during a blizzard, the dropout rate would be excessive. Best to think first of regular walking. View it less as a tool to Olympic level conditioning and more of an exercise in consistency. If you can hit 5 days out of seven for a few months, you are learning habits. There will be other benefits, but this simple, simple, tool teaches you to show up and is of low risk. That is why family physicians recommend it. Their job is not to be athletic trainers, but to prevent your valentine from blowing up after you’ve binged on eggnog, pecan pie and cigars.

Modern gyms contain many aerobic based machines. Bicycles, Ellipticals, Rowers, Treadmills, Cross Country Skiers, Steppers and others. Most all of these are low stress, safe and in a controlled environment. The value is with this much choice, you can certainly find something that works for you. Another advantage is you can switch machines at any time. This helps eliminate boredom and will prevent any over training issues involving repetitive movement. The same rules of Zone 2 aerobics apply here and if going to the gym is your jam, technology makes it easy.

Training aerobics outdoors is the choice for many. This of course is limited by weather and environment. You may live downtown and it is less optimal. However, running, rucking and biking require little in investment and give us many, many, rewards. I’d opt for rucking and biking if your mileage is over 100,000. Running is NOT optimal if you don’t currently run or play a sport that includes running. It’s not a tool to get the obese, sedentary, person in shape. That produces injuries. However if you’ve been playing hoops for years with your buddies and not morbidly overweight and generally healthy, you should be fine. Running does not SUCK. This is usually stated by those who can’t even do burpees. It’s an activity. No need to moralize it. Lot’s of people thrive on running. Others should not be doing it at all.

Home equipment may be the most optimal. You have the efficiency and safety of the gear AND you have the option of going outside too. Home gear can be as simple as a step up bench or as elegant as a Concept 2 Rower. Many have stands for iPads or phones since you are going to be there a while. Spinning bikes and ski ergometers are excellent as well. If things get stale, you can go outside to bike, ruck or run.

Strength Training can be the most argumentative part of fitness. Everyone has their own camp. They join that camp and then seek evidence and anecdote to support that position rather than looking at what and how to optimize outcome. If you are training for fitness and looks, then you should seek the safest and most effective long term plan. If competition is your thing, then accept the risks and enjoy. Pain is temporary, but glory is forever. (Or is it the other way around?). As I stated earlier, with risk comes failure and we learn more from failing than succeeding. We should die broke and without a perfectly pristine skeleton. However we should also be fighting all the way.

Here are some observations —

• Don’t hold machines in contempt. For the injured or even advanced, they are a tool. For the neophyte and badly out of shape, moving from machine to machine and stimulating muscles and bones in a safe, stress free fashion is a good thing. It’s a starting point for many.
• Barbells allow for small increases in load external to the body. They are, in their simplicity, quite miraculous.
• Body Weight Exercise, essentially is the simple part of early gymnastics. The exercises are part of longer sequences too. Like running into battle, dropping to the ground and getting to your feet. Run-burpee-push-lunge-run. To make them harder you need to change levers. This requires an adaptation to the new skill. Not necessarily a bad thing. You can also attach weight to your body. This can get annoying, but it’s challenging too.
• Lever Based Apparatus. I never thought of using that term until I heard it from celebrity trainer and martial artist, Mark Wildman. His background as a BioChemical Engineer lends itself towards logical organization and connecting the dots. The apparatus I speak of are kettlebells, heavy clubs and maces. The heaviest, the kettlebell, is the least complex and shortest lever. As you increase the lever the load decreases while the complexity of movement increases. These are movements in the 6 degrees of freedom are — yaw, pitch, roll, heaving, surging and swaying. While the weight of the implements do not tax the lower body for a one repetition maximum, they enhance movement. Compare a gymnastic dismount to a sumo deadlift. Both amazing. One more complex, one more intense. Again, don’t moralize exercise or food.

Flexibility and Mobility can include the idea of basic human movement. There are simple things we should be able to do in our golden years to avoid nursing care -

• Squatting to a toilet.
• Tying your shoes.
• Picking up things off the floor without groaning.
• Hanging on to a bar or rope.
• Getting down to the ground and up, smoothly.
• Crawling
• Carry Loads
• Standing on one leg.

If you went to a Pre School, these would be easy for the occupants. If you went to a Nursing Home, not so much. Do the math and work on this.

Basic stretching is best done after a workout when the muscles are warm. This can be either your aerobic or strength workout. Stretching before strength training can temporarily affect strength. It’s not a big deal unless you are pursuing limit loads for competition. Most of the changes in the range you stretch are neurological. It’s your nervous system that needs changed. However long term adaptation to the muscle itself occurs and this is an area people like to argue about. Remember, foam roller, vibrators, trigger points, massage, etc, all work by playing with the nervous system.

The material available for stretching is endless and runs from Yoga classes to Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation. Using external weight to increase flexibility has been around forever, but seems to be getting more popular because of social media.

Mobility is another area that needs addressed. It’s easy to forget or shall I say, avoid, because it adds to the things we have to do. A great idea from Gymnasticbodies Coach Chris Sommer is to alternate your strength movements with mobility movements between sets. This is a great use of time and it might have a synergistic effect, but let’s not focus on that. It’s simply efficient.

This idea of sandwiching or ‘staggered sets’ to use Joe Weider’s jargon, works with flexibility too. Dante Trudel of True Nutrition and inventor of DoggCrapp Training instructs his trainees to do a hard stretch of the bodypart immediately after training that part. He indicates that this stimulates growth. If you think about it, whether it does or not, it’s a great way to add stretching within the program.

Using the above ideas the sequence would look like this.

• Main Strength Move/Mobility Between Sets>Full Range of Motion Strength Exercise>60–90 Second, Sustained, Static Stretch of that bodypart.
• If you have a pet move like a deadlift or heavy press, stretching or mobility between sets would not be indicated. Treat this as an isolated, strength/skill move. Then move on to the rest of the workout.

Some extra ideas to work with-

• Work on grip strength. It’s correlation to longevity is probably related to the robustness of the individual tested. It does come in handy.
• Perhaps injury or just terrible proportions make squats more painful than productive. Do leg presses, hack squats, step ups or lunges. Get out of chairs without holding anything or with hands on knees. If you like to have fun, get out of chairs with only one leg. This will help you to use the toilet.
• Squat down to the ground to tie your shoe.
• Pulling yourself up may be life saving. Climbing over obstacles, out of cars or out of a building can be a good thing. This means pull ups and crawling. If injury precludes these activities, at least find the best, viable, alternative.
• Do some dumbbell work or even brushing your teeth while on one foot is a basic way to enhance or maintain balance. Put it on your task list.
• With age and mileage, the distal components of the body decrease in size while the center gets thicker. Understanding dietary intake will minimize or eliminate the thick middle while hypertrophy of the neck, forearms and calves will deal with the distal. The change in appearance will be striking before looking for performance improvement.
• Due to sitting, it is often said, that the hip flexors get tight. They actually get weak. You will notice older folks tripping more since they slide their feet without lifting them. Practicing abdominal work that brings the legs towards the torso can aid in strengthening this weakened area.
• If you are youthful, doing the Big 3 lifts and lots of athletics, your movement should be wonderful. When you train the same and remove the athletics things change. What you don’t move, you lose. Rather than jumping on the, “PreHab is the way to train” bandwagon, vary your tools. Add some kettlebell lifts and some heavy club training. Especially the lateral motions of the clubs. It can be a game changer. You won’t walk like Boris Karloff in an old movie anymore.

No article on dealing with mileage can escape the subject of diet. Humans can exist on a wide variety of foods. We can go from heavy grain to all meat to all vegetables. That doesn’t mean any of these is optimal. It means we adapt pretty well. Other animals aren’t as lucky. The thing is, as an 18 year old, beefsteak and weight lifting may be our passion. With age it can slip into sweets and naps. The diet to deal with mileage is as nutritionally dense as possible with the least amount of calories. Optimal bodyfat levels are important for longevity, but more importantly, mobility. Think about it. When 30–40 years ago did you see so many electric carts in grocery and retail stores? It’s hard to lug around an extra hundred pounds of fat. Add in weakened muscles and a reduction in a joint’s range of motion and lack of mobility becomes a life threatening issue.

Choosing a wide variety of foods makes life enjoyable and versatile. If you can’t get to your organic wheat thins while in a helicopter in Thailand, you can still enjoy local cuisine. The key is to NOT moralize foods into the categories of good and bad. We can look at food in terms of macronutrients and types. Let’s just list the obvious -

• Protein, (“of first importance”) needs to be adequate. The levels of protein need to increase in two situations. 1. During fat loss. 2. During resistance or aerobic training. Target it at ONE GRAM per pound of target bodyweight.
• Carbohydrates are necessary, (but not ‘essential’ the Keto Crowd yells!) They can be reduced in the diet if you are eating to an excess, but going into ketosis is not necessary. It may be a good strategy for some, but not optimal for athletes.
• Fats are part of the picture and not to be feared. It’s the richest source of calories so it has a way of creeping into daily intake like a Ninja. Measuring intake is necessary. Lots of protein foods have ample fat so choose wisely.
• Alcohol is not a necessary macronutrient. Along with coffee, water and tea, it’s among the oldest of beverages. We can adequately metabolize small amounts and sometimes large amounts of it. Rather than moralize it, let’s look at two obvious issues. 1. We don’t need it, but it may add to the quality of life if managed. 2. Managing it becomes less controlled after we consume it. Other than inserting an IV I believe it’s the fastest way to get calories into the body. Liquids have more surface area than solids and absorb faster. If you want a teenaged boy to gain muscle for football, supplement his home cooked foods with protein shakes. If you want a middle aged person to gain fat, make the beer and wine flow.
• Water is an obvious one and most important. We are adequately hydrated and other than the convenience of wetting our lips, carrying a water bottle is a modern habit. Even coffee provides water. Caffeine alone is a diuretic, but when you add water… it’s fine. Drink to thirst unless you are in hot weather and doing exercise or labor.

The key of all keys is to trim calories, increase protein and consume adequate fresh foods. The added body fat that collects with your mileage is because you consume too many calories. Don’t complain about missing the gym or getting older, it’s the calories. North Americans seem to ignore the calories in/calories out standard. Starving children in the Sudan and Somali do not. They understand if they don’t eat enough, they will die. North Americans eat too much and think it’s the additives or electromagnetic field from their $1000 iPhone.

Food Supplements need to be mentioned. There are some items that don’t break the bank and provide a back up to a well balanced diet. Those would be fish oil, magnesium and vitamin D/K. Certainly adding whey protein and creatine are a good idea as well. There may be specialized situations where other nutrients have an effect, but view the peer reviewed evidence and not what the popular media says.

High mileage requires taking the vehicle into the shop. For humans, that is your Family Practitioner who can run blood tests and deal with the most basic of issues. You must be vigilant in demanding referral to specialists to deal with specific items. Past age 40 this would include sex hormone panels to determine where you are. If necessary you can be referred to a specialist to deal with low hormones and address that issue. It’s best to hike through the years and not melt into the couch. Hormone Replacement Therapy allows us to maintain vigor throughout our years when combined properly with the components listed above.

Dealing with an active, longer life requires planning, record keeping, diligence and creativity. Do your best and remember, it’s not the years, honey, it’s the mileage.

The End.

If you need private coaching or a phone consultation, please email me at physicalstrategies@gmail.com #trainforlife

Tom Furman has been involved in martial arts and conditioning since 1972. With an early background in wrestling and a student of the methods of the York Barbell Club, Tom immediately separated fact from fiction growing up outside Pittsburgh. Eleven members of his family were combat veterans, the most famous one being “Uncle Charlie” (Charles Bronson) His down to earth training methods are derived from his decades long practice of martial arts and his study of exercise science. The application of force, improvement of movement and durability rank high on his list of priorities when training. He gives credit to hundreds of hours of seminars, training sessions, and ‘backyard’ workouts, including training time with many martial arts legends. He also credits his incredibly gifted training partners who came from varied backgrounds such as Exercise Physiologists, Airborne Rangers, Bounty Hunters, Boxing Trainers and Coast Guard Rescue Divers. His best selling ebooks, are available HERE.