16/06/2025
🌟Mens Health Week🌟.
A bit late now but a call to action for men of a "certain age".
This I reflected back on what Health has looked like and meant to me over the years.
I set a high bar early in adolescence, as an athlete, I pushed my body and mind to their limits, driven by a desire to win. It was hard to sustain and as I moved into working life, that competitive spirit tempered and found new forms — milestones and achievements like climbing mountains, fulfilling a childhood ambition to earn a black belt, and learning to snowboard.
As I turned 50, the focus began to shift. I’d grown sedentary, with more and more of my time spent in front of a computer. A brush with high blood pressure served as a wake-up call. I realised that if I want this body and mind to carry me into the many plans I have for retirement — and beyond — it’s going to need more than fitness. It needs investment and a sustainable approach that synergises physical and mental wellbeing to build resilience and restore the joy that comes from the discipline of doing things well.
Having a sickeningly fit 18 year old son has helped a lot (that competitive spirit never dies) and working out together I find he pushes me harder than I could push myself. Never the less, the commitment is mine alone. To move more, to take time to recover mentally and physically and to act with greater intention. In the same way I approach leadership this is underpinned with honesty, humility and an willingness to fall, learn and rise. Progress, not perfection.
If you’re on a similar journey — rethinking how you care for yourself in midlife — I’d love to hear how you’re approaching it.
