I Can't Push Myself, But You Can. Read Here For The Benefits Of Exertion.

Swimmers launch at The Huntsman World Senior Games. It was a veteran swim coach who convinced me older athletes who did not train hard when they were younger do not know how much exertion their bodies can take. Photo courtesy Huntsman World Senior Games.

By Ray Glier

I do not have the story of a Geezer Jock this week.

I have this, which is important to you.

My fight with ALS keeps me from over-exertion because once I lift a weight too heavy and it tears muscle fibers, it will not build back like it should and make me stronger. The nature of the disease is that the muscle has lost connection with motor neurons until I find a way to reverse the disease. I can still walk and that helps keep what I have four years+ into this thing.

For the rest of you, it is not one issue keeping you from upping your exercise. It could be a bad hip, 9-to-5 work overload, chronic fatigue, or arthritis.

It could also be a fear of discomfort or “pain catastrophizing” that keeps you from walking/running/biking an extra mile.

I have written before about coaches who come across older people who were not on a team in high school, or college, and did not have the benefit of a hard-nosed coach to assault their willpower. The coach pushed you to give more…or else. Many of you didn’t need accept the tyranny. Many were self-motivated to push.

So when it comes to exertion, some older people hit a wall and think, “That’s all I can take...my heart rate is too high.” They weren’t trained up as youngsters to push. Discomfort stinks. It stinks bad enough that they back off and do not improve their fitness.

I was drawn into this paper on “pain catastrophizing” and “preoperative psychological distress.”

Do you want to take a glance at this link? I think you should. Most of us are getting something replaced with an operation. It will also help with answering back, “How much can I bear?”

If poor clinical outcomes can result from doom-scrolling and negative thoughts before a surgery imagine what impact YOU have on YOU as you are trying to walk seven miles instead of five?

I read this Friday on the site trainerroad.com:

Pushing your limits doesn’t necessarily mean you should push through every single workout. In fact, an occasional failed workout is a normal part of training! When your fitness is assessed correctly and your workouts are adjusted proportionately, it’s okay if you can’t get through every challenging workout. There should be a healthy balance between testing your limits and listening to your body.

When you are pushing, be safe, be prudent. If you feel a tightness in your hamstring, stop. If you feel a tightness in your chest, stop, or the meat wagon will come for you.

Just remember the words of Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl:

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

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Here is a previous item from Geezer Jock. Chores count toward fitness. You bet they do.

I just love these affirmations of my habit of suddenly pulling out the vacuum, or mopping the dirty kitchen floor after Cupcake makes a mess with the water bowl. I don’t say, “It’s Tuesday, this is not the day to mop.” I’ve done it for years.

From Long Youthspan here is a study about those short bouts of energy you get in between watching football games or the baseball playoffs.

A summary:

Short bursts of intense daily activity — playing with kids, gardening, household duties — were tied to a lower risk of death.

Bouts lasting just 1-3 minutes of such activity cut the risk of death by 33%.

Bouts lasting 5-10 minutes of such activity cut the risk of death by more than 50%.

So, next time, don’t react with drudgery into mopping up your dog’s mess. Do it for your health.

Say, “Gee, I’m am going to do some intermittent non-exercise physical activity.”

You get that, right? You are retired. You don’t want to go to the gym. Fine, pick up a broom, or mop, or rake, or push a mower.

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Here’s more proof there is a market for the special talents of Geezer Jocks.

This was pitched to Geezer Jock last week as a contest that includes older people. It is from MrBeast, who is HUGE:

My name is Amy Kernan-Bennett, I’m a Casting Coordinator with MrBeast Youtube.

We’re currently casting for a new ages-based video filming in early December 2025 at our Headquarters here in Greenville, N.C.

We’re currently on the lookout for individuals ranging from 70-100 years old who might be interested in competing in a MrBeast Challenge and we’d love your help in spreading the word to members of your community who might be interested!

About the Project:

Filming takes place during the first two weeks of December in Greenville, N.C.
Participants of ALL ages will compete in a fun, one-of-a-kind challenge for a prize.

No acting experience needed - big personalities encouraged!
If someone not local to our area is selected to participate, all flights, hotels, and travel expenses are covered by us.

This process is free — we will never ask for payment or financial info.

About MrBeast:

With 449M+ subscribers, MrBeast is the world’s leading creator of large-scale, family-friendly videos — such as Ages 1 - 100 Fight For $500,000 & Ages 1 - 100 Decide Who Wins $250,000. Through MrBeast Philanthropy, we’ve also built wells in Africa, rebuilt homes for disaster survivors, and run monthly food programs.

How to Apply:
https://airtable.com/appzLZc65BWnoKZp2/pagsEdu9hozk2FMDc/form
(paste into the browser).

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