We all get older – but that doesn’t mean we can’t put up a hell of a fight before we go down.
As many of my Timing Letter readers know, staying healthy and fit – and slowing down the aging process – has always been my highest priority. The interesting thing is that while I have always been good at making money in real estate, being super healthy has always been way more important to me.
My dad bought himself a set of weights when I was in high school, and for some reason I started using them.
At age 17, the weights didn’t seem to help me be a better baseball player – but 60 years later, I can hit a baseball almost 300 feet on the fly, which is farther than I could when I was a teenager.
What I’ve Learned in the Last 60 Years
You may not be interested in athletics – but you do not have to get old the way most people think.
I’m living proof that with exercise, the right diet, and the right mental attitude – you can live as if you were 45 until you are 60, or 70, or even 80 plus years old – and stay young looking to boot.
Getting Old is Optional
My message to all men out there is this: You do not have to start going downhill after age 45.
With the right exercise, diet and mindset – none of which has to be torture or extreme stuff – you can just as easily live as if you were 45 for the rest of your life, and have a good time doing it.
God willing, I want to be doing the Electric Slide when I turn 90.
What About Injuries?
Along with advancing age, men over 45 often complain about injuries as the reason they can’t do what it takes to stay healthy and fit.
I can relate to this because I’ve had surgeries on both knees – one from playing baseball and one from playing basketball – and at age 76, I shattered my right elbow in nine places when I was running in a canyon with my two beagles.
My surgeon had to replace my shattered elbow with a 2.5 inch titanium pin that is 3/8 inches thick.
After a year of rehab – combined with the mental attitude that I’m not going to let this injury slow me down – I can still swing a hammer like a framer and throw a football almost 40 yards. Yup – I’m back!
The New Science of Aging
In the old days, it was commonly believed that how you aged and how long you lived was essentially decided at birth – that it was at least 70% genetic and there was nothing you could do about it.
Since then, it’s been determined that genes only account for maybe 25% – which means the other 75% is controlled by you.
Physical strength will keep your body healthy and strong. But over the years I’ve learned that physical strength + mental strength makes you invincible.
My Health
Since I started lifting weights and watching what I eat at age 48, I have only had the flu one time in the past 30 years – and that was without ever getting a flu shot.
What about the common cold? After I made a couple of changes to the supplements I take, I’ve only had one cold in the past 15 years. Prior to that – because gyms are germ machines – I used to get an average of two colds per year.
I only take one med – and that’s for a hyperactive thyroid for which there is no cure.
I get a physical examination every year at the VA – and my VA medical doctor likes to say “Mr. Campbell, if all my patients were as healthy as you, I’d be out of business.”
Final Words
Guys, it doesn’t matter how much money you make in real estate – or any other endeavor. All the money in the world can’t buy you good health.
One of my gym homies is a retired medical doctor that had a very successful practice in Del Mar, CA. He would swim in the ocean almost every day – and he would see me running down the beach barefoot in the soft sand.
One day at the gym, he said “Robert, most of my patients lived in Del Mar. They were older and the majority were very wealthy. Take a guess how much of their money they would give to be as healthy as you?”
“All of it,” he said.
Those are words I will never forget – and that’s why staying healthy and fit – both mentally and physically – will always be my #1 investment, and that’s what I wish for you too.