When I was around thirteen, I can remember my Uncle turning 40 and he seemed so old! Now here I am knocking on the door of 40 and I’m writing this to tell you why I think age is just a number.

I’ve never really been bothered by age and I don’t have the dread that some people speak about hitting the big 4-0. I try to live my life one stage at a time and embrace each change that occurs. My timeline is based on my kids growing up. It’s going by so fast but I make sure I’m around as much as I can because I’m pretty sure these are the wonder years right now. However, as one stage passes, another stage begins and I feel like life is getting better and better. Or perhaps I just appreciate things a little more.

I am physically older than I was ten years ago but I don’t feel it and that is ultimately the point of this post. I am older than I was ten years ago. Fact. I look older than I did ten years ago. Fact. However, I feel the fittest and strongest now, than I’ve ever been in my life and it’s a great feeling. I don’t let my age restrict me and I’m definitely brave enough to try new things. I intend to keep this ethos with me as I get older and I think it’s bloody brilliant when I see my older friends taking part in some pretty grueling physical activities. They don’t care how old they are, they’re loving life and embracing new things. I really do love it.

I came across this article about when do we stop being young? What age do you think we stop being young? I don’t think I’ll ever stop feeling young! That doesn’t mean I’ll never wear a flat cap and a sensible beige jacket when I’m older! Like the picture of me above, I look at it and think “jeez, I’ve aged!” but I don’t feel as old as I look. Studies have shown that because of society’s general prejudice on age, some people refrain from certain activities. This makes me feel sad. Imagine hitting a certain age and always thinking, “I’m too old for that” and not because you don’t think you can do it but because you’re worried about what others will think.

I started my ‘Active Advent’ on the 1st of December and I seem to have people of all ages taking part – which really is fantastic! The idea was to target beginners so it’s been fairly straight forward so far. We’re starting to pick the pace up a bit now and it will gradually get harder until Christmas Eve. I know that some of the people taking part don’t do much exercise so it’s great to see that age isn’t a factor here. One thing I do speak a lot about, is respecting your body. I’ve swapped out high impact exercises for ones that are easier on your joints. This isn’t because I can’t do the exercises anymore, it’s just I recover from them much better.

Right now, I honestly don’t wish I was younger. The thought of being a teenager again fills me with dread. My 20’s were fun and frivolous but life really started to get fun in my 30′s, when the kids came along. Definitely life changing and my trigger point to get fit and healthy and take on new exciting challenges.

I don’t want this post to get all deep and meaningful but I do reflect a lot at this time of year. Life is funny though isn’t it? We all have that one shot at it. I often walk around (especially at the beach) and wonder what other people are thinking? What brought them to this exact beach? Has their ‘trigger point’ happened yet? Are they happy with their life?

My Wife and I always watch a film called ‘The Family Man’ at Christmas. In a nutshell, it’s about a man who’s shown a glimpse of what his life would’ve been like. It’s one of my favourite Christmas films and I realised the other day that my life is pretty similar to the character in the film. I may have subconsciously wanted this to happen but here I am with a beautiful Wife, two amazing kids, a daft dog and a lovely family home. One of my mates jokes that my life is very textbook but I don’t care. This is the life I’ve created and it’s all I could have possibly wished for. I don’t really need a whole lot, a simple life is good with me. Give me a happy, healthy family (the occasional scotch egg) and that’s good enough for me.

Please don’t let age be a factor in anything you ‘don’t’ do. I guess it’s just being sensible with it. Have some fun, feel young and embrace the change. Life is for living, so live it your way. Love your life.

Thanks for reading,