The main thing I'm getting from this thread is don't have kids. Lol. I've heard enough. I'm 20M and neither myself or my fiance want them. We're gonna enjoy our lives and workout, thanks.
I'm assuming you don't have kids...have a couple of kids and hit 40 for starters and you may understand a bit more. The rest of your life becomes not just busy but quite stressful. Marriage becomes a lot more work, your free time disappears, and usually your career gets more involved.
Some people just give up as a result and drink more and eat more garbage without working out as a psychological cope
I don’t have kids but how many athletes have kids? Doesn’t stop them. I’m not going to take a job that overtakes my life, too. Why would I put a job before my mental and physical well being?
Also this. This is why I'm strictly against working OT. Some of the guys I work with work 8 hours followed by another 4-5 hours of OT when they literally don't even have to most of the time. I think they're absolute nuts.
Plus it's not even worth it half the time because that just causes you to get taxed more. Lol
The main thing I'm getting from this thread is don't have kids. Lol. I've heard enough. I'm 20M and neither myself or my fiance want them. We're gonna enjoy our lives and workout, thanks.
Since there's a lot of ragging on having kids, I'll say that personally, my kids motivate me to stay healthy and fit in a way I never found before having them. In my 40s and in the best shape, healthiest habits, and lowest weight in my life, and I forced myself to do that after a health scare that I didn't want to affect the kind of father I could be.
I'm impressed by those with discipline and dedication who are younger--certainly wasn't me.
Exercise is seen as a chore and isn’t an established habit, like it has been for you.
Yes except I’ve seen this in people who were as athletic as me. Two people I know who were D1 football and basketball already regularly stopped exercising in their 30s.
Athletes aren’t into sport for the fitness aspect, but for the competition
Married and with kids, they lose the high testosterone competitive edge. Their wife is out of shape, barely puts out. They get comfortable and don't want to get out and after it.
It is honestly kind of funny/sad to see people here coping/projecting with themselves not wanting to exercise as they get older, have kids, get married, all the excuses. One poster earlier in the thread listed all the excuses and got some upvotes which just explains the excuses that are made to why people decide to stop finding a way to stay moving or care about their health. I am not sure if someone has said it already - but it is very simple. Make the time. The reality is with all the leisure activities and how easily accessible it is to stay complacent or shut your mind off to reality, I would say it is harder as you get older to get outside or to make that time. There is always time for something small to get moving in your day. When my wife and I began our family truly and work of course ramped up, we just understood our exercise would have to be a lot more calculated if we wanted to stay healthy and invest in not only our own future with health but also the image our children will see.
1. For many men they were working out in pursuit a competition or big goal, not just some vague idea of being healthy. Without a defined competitive goal, then the process becomes work, and most everyone has plenty of that on their plate.
2. As you age and you become more and more limited in what you can do, the activity can become a lot less fun or inspiring. If every step of a run hurts, it's really hard to get too jazzed up about going for that daily jog. Also the reality of hoping to average 8:30 per mile (or whatever you consider slow) is pretty humiliating.
Why do middle aged married men often give up on staying fit? I am in my early 30s married and I primarily work out for myself. I love it and it keeps me sane. But I also want to look good for my wife. However it seems when men get into their 40s or 50s they often give up trying to look good for their spouse. Anyone here have any experience letting yourself go? I would be embarrassed if I became out of shape. I know there is more to physical appearances, but I believe you should want your spouse to still find you attractive. If you get out of shape the wife should push you to do better imo.
Some of us have fulfilling marriages which aren't based on looks, and we maintain attraction even as we age and change and go through phases. If I'm responding to the shallow tone of the OP, that's the answer.
Work...kids...metabolism...increased responsibilities...periods of dealing with illnesses and eventual death of your parents and prior generation close family members. Wait until you have the stress of carrying your job, your kids, your marriage, while watching a parent whither away while you're advocating for them in our medical system for 3-4 months and see what that does to your personal time to work out.
In my late 20s I averaged 100-120mpw. My super power was I never got injured. Starting in my late 30s that changed and I began having a series of near-constant hip issues that have not continued for a decade. I'm doing better now than most of this period, but still can't remember the last time I hit 35 mpw, not from laziness but just because I only get so much in before some injury kicks in and I need a couple days off. Currently nursing a hip flexor after completing a progression run with my son.
I raced at 145-150lbs, topped out at 198lbs before I decided it was ridiculous and things needed to change, and currently running about 170lbs. Not exactly out of shape considering I'm still capable of 18 flat at 47 years on such minimal mileage.
Ironically I've been held back by giving back to the sport. I started coaching XC this year and while I run with the team it's rarely what is best for me to be doing -- like parenting, I'm putting others first and doing what's best for them. So I typically get some running in but I wouldn't really call it training.
Similar story here. I'm in my highest prime earning years, I put my energy to keep moving up that scale. While metabolism slows. My wife actually prefers I have a "bear" physique now rather than the fit runner body I had when we met. I only care about looking good for her -- body, hair, clothing -- anymore, anyway. Plus I'm not some neurotic nerd still interested in competing 20+ weekends per year with other no-lifes 30 years after it stopped being actually having fun with buddies.