Inquisitive.me

Every week, I give presentations about the importance of physical health. And almost every day, I tell my patients the same thing: if you want to gain and maintain it, you have to move. You have to work out.

And almost every day, I hear the same responses—just with different packaging:

• I can’t work out because I’m a single mom.
• I can’t work out because of my workload.
• I can’t work out because I’m old.
• I can’t work out because I’m in pain.
• I can’t work out because I don’t have time.
• I can’t work out because I’m injured.

But. But. But.

I could fill a book with excuses I’ve heard. And I get it—believe me, I could come up with a million of my own. I’d rather read, research, play video games, watch a good movie, spend time with my dog, write, draw, or finally learn the piano or another language. There’s always something else I could do instead of training.

I’m probably one of the few people who didn’t use COVID as an excuse to declutter their whole house or sort through every old box in the attic. I just wasn’t that bored. For me, it felt more like a long pre-season—a chance to catch up on things that random social gatherings and the daily chaos of adult life usually kept me from doing. So yeah, I know how to be busy.

But here’s the one reason that crushes all my excuses: I want to stay independent as I age.

Right now, I can pack a bag and walk all day if I want to. I can start learning any sport without first needing to “get fit.” I can run a kilometer without gasping for air—or ten kilometers without a problem. I can hop on my bike without worrying if I’ll have the strength to make it back home.

And I want this at 60. At 70. At 80. Even at 90. I don’t want to look back one day and think, I wish I’d taken better care of my body. I wish I’d worked out more. I wish I’d done better.

The tricky thing? People rarely admit when their lack of fitness is their own fault. Instead, they blame age: I can’t get off the floor because I’m older. My joints hurt because I’m older. I’m overweight because I’m older.

But here’s the truth: it’s not age—it’s lifestyle.

If it were age, how would you explain 80-year-old marathon runners, 90-year-old climbers, 85-year-old gymnasts, or 90-year-old weightlifters? They don’t have a different calendar than you—they just didn’t stop moving. We don’t stop moving because we grow old. We grow old because we stop moving.

Yes, accidents happen. But even then, people can live active, healthy lives. My grandmother, for example, broke multiple vertebrae in her spine at age 18. In her whole life, I never heard her complain about daily back pain. Sure, after a long day working at her Heurigen, she’d feel it—but she never let it define her. If her knees hurt, she’d say, “I haven’t been cycling enough, I have to get back to it.” And when she did, the pain disappeared.

If you spend your energy looking for excuses, you’ll never start moving. I wouldn’t either. So instead, spend that energy looking for reasons to move. Or do it like one of my patients:

“Alright, Beatrice. I don’t want to go either. We’ll discuss this on the road.”

That’s her talking to her own nagging, demotivated self—and still showing up anyway.

Excuses won’t make you younger or stronger—they only keep you stuck. If you want to stay independent and fit as you age, you need to start acting, even when it’s uncomfortable. A surprisingly simple way to do that is to talk to yourself like you would a friend—your inner voice can either hold you back or push you forward.

🧪 Let’s Experiment

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Give your demotivated self a pep talk—and start moving.

Excuses don’t make us younger or stronger. Staying independent as we age means practicing—even when it’s uncomfortable. And a surprisingly powerful way to start is to talk to yourself… like you would a friend.

🎯 Try This:

• Give your nagging, demotivating self a name. This technique is called externalization, and it helps you separate from what’s holding you back.
• Talk to that imaginary “friend” the way you would encourage someone you care about. When they don’t want to exercise, you wouldn’t say: “Yeah, skip it. Netflix is fine, too.” No, you wouldn’t answer like that.
• Instead, say something like: “Get your ass together, Alex. You want to stay independent and strong. You can do this. Even if it’s uncomfortable, you’ll thank yourself later. We got this!”
• Then—actually move. Start small. Bend, squat, balance, or take a short walk. Your words are the push; your movement is the proof.

🧠 Final Thought:

Your future self—fit, independent, and mobile—relies on your choices today. Talk kindly but firmly, start small, and build the strength to enjoy life at any age.

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Keep it simple, stay curious, and keep learning—you’ve got this.

Take care,

Carina 🦊