In the wonderful world of nature nothing is ever in a state of rest, or maintenance or stagnation. It may look that way. The apple on the tree for some days looks to be past its ripening phase and yet well before its rotting phase, the adult mammal seems to have ‘finished’ its growing spurts to remain in an enduring plateau before reaching the decline toward age in senior years, and even some trees stand seemingly identical for many, many years. But at the cellular level nothing rests. Nothing floats in a fixed state of existence – it is constantly changing, either building up, breaking down, or in constant turnover.
In short, you’re either growing or your dying, and so too it is with our health. Our fitness is either on the way up or on the way down, our muscles and bones; skin and immune system, all constantly renew cells and cell nutrients on an ongoing basis.
To be the best you can be, and to get the most out of what you already have it’s smart to get all your ducks in a row (recovery, diet, training, attitude/approach, and emotional juice) so that you are aiming for, and achieving growth. Don’t just aim to maintain, aim to stretch yourself. If you’re old (I know you’re thinking it), even more so. Aim to be fitter and healthier, it doesn’t mean you have to outdo what you did in your twenties, what it means is you have to improve function and flexibility not just hold on until death. If that very saying – ‘you’re either growing or you’re dying’, means you may well be on the way down, then at least aim to decline at the slowest rate possible.
