It is inevitable. The years keep ticking away. That doesn’t mean that you must abandon all that you enjoy. Especially that motorcycle in your garage. Everyone will reach those days, the golden years. How you live in midlife will prepare you for the golden phase. Pay attention to these three things to ensure you are still riding at 60, 70, and beyond.
The Three M’s.
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Muscle.
Aging and muscle loss go hand in hand. Partially due to father time and partially due a lack of physical activity that carried us through our youth. Even by early midlife, you might notice that you lose muscle strength quicker and quicker. One of the biggest concerns people have about riding a motorcycle as they age is the physical demand of standing with stability or your bike. Muscle strength in your golden years is crucial . Stay active and make sure those muscles get regular use. A focused core exercise routine done each week will keep your core strength and joints strong enough to balance that 800 pound V-Twin you love riding so much. Back pain an issue? Check out this post on managing pain without pills.
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Mind.
You’ve learned it all and know all that you need to by now. That’s a nice way to look at it. The most important computer you have is sitting between your ears. Lets just power it down. Riding a motorcycle requires attention, focus, and endurance. As you age, keeping your mental faculties sharp will ensure that as you keep riding, you have little reason to doubt yourself. One more factor, recent research has shown that regular cardio exercise during midlife can prevent or slow the onset of dementia. Rewind back to the first M (MUSCLE) and work in a brisk walk /jog into your routine. Keeping your legs moving and brain healthy will keep you 2/3 of the way down that long open road.
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Motivation.
Life changes as we age. We lose track of friends, experience loss of loved ones, and maybe even experience the occasional medical set back. Life CAN be depressing. If you remember back when you first started riding, you’ll recall that you spent hours out riding with no goal, no end in site, and no reason. You rode because it was an experience and was fun. If you lose your motivation through the years, you’ll also lose the desire to care about number 1 and number 2. Aging will shift into high gear if you let it. Sitting idle, complaining about the way things used to be, and falling behind. The spark of life, whatever it may be, will keep you moving and thinking, AND RIDING.
Look forward to your golden years. Just dont forget that if you neglect midlife, you might not enjoy LIFE as much .
Stay active and keep riding! Be spontaneous, just ride!