I’ve noticed that my body hurts more and for longer these days.
And I seem to be more tired than I once was. Old age, I tell myself.
At 68, four hours’ sleep and two hamburgers no longer get me through the day.
But the thing is, I’ve realised this discomfort and fatigue is not a signal to stop.
Clint Eastwood, now 95, once said to Toby Keith at a charity golf tournament: “Don’t let the old man in.”
Those words resonated for me. They’re not about pretending to be young; they’re about refusing to surrender when your body tries to negotiate an early retirement.
If we continue doing the things we did when we were younger, such as strength training, walking fast, challenging ourselves mentally, and staying socially connected, our brains strengthen.
You know this, but here’s the latest research to support it.
A 2025 meta‑analysis of 4,349 adults aged 60+ found that:
🧠 Resistance training delivered the biggest boost to overall cognitive function.
🧠 Mind–body practices (like Tai Chi or yoga) significantly improved executive function and working memory.
🧠 Aerobic exercise enhanced memory - the thing so many fear losing.
A National Institute on Ageing study showed that even small improvements in fitness significantly increased myelin, the brain’s communication wiring, particularly after age 40.
That means sharper thinking, faster processing and better resilience against decline.
Across 130,000+ older adults in international ageing studies, those who stayed active were dramatically more likely to maintain a high, stable trajectory of health over 10 years.
Movement shifted the entire path upward.
Strength training, in particular, remains one of the strongest protectors against frailty, bone loss, and loss of independence as we age.
A remarkable 2026 Yale study of 11,000 older adults found that nearly half improved physically or cognitively over 12 years.
And the biggest predictor of improvement? Their mindset about ageing.
Those who believed ageing could include growth were the ones who actually grew.
What this means is the tiredness you feel, the soreness you wake up with, and the days your body whispers to you, ‘skip the gym,’ aren’t signs of decline.
Those are the moments when the research says that if you keep going, you win.
If you move, lift, stretch, breathe, connect and challenge yourself, you push the ‘old person’ back outside the door.
Although your body is tired, sore, complaining, or making excuses, it is still capable of extraordinary things when you give it the chance.
Keep moving, keep learning, keep pushing.
Your future self will thank you.
Let’s talk!
Don't Let The Old Man (Person) In!