We recently had an opportunity to have a lively conversation with Joe Ames, Corporate Retiree turned CrossFit Game Champion and boy did he leave us motivated to keep moving!  We share a similar goal, to help shift mindsets from a career-centric life to a wellness-centric life.  As he said during our chat “It’s never too late to get started, until it’s too late!”   

“How is your health not your #1 Priority?” 

You may have put your health second to accumulating wealth during your working years, however Joe shared with us just why focusing on your health is just as important, especially heading into your retirement years.  One hundred million people in the US are either diabetic or pre-diabetic.  We talked about the statistics around the sedentary lifestyle and tv watching that many retirees have resolved themselves to and how dangerous this can be to your health.  

The transition to Retirement can cause a host of shocks to our system. Having a strong physical wellness regimen can help provide the stability and routine many of us desire as we seek to fill the gap left by our careers.  Getting up and not having a plan for the day, not working out gets old really fast.  It is hard to live a day without anything on your calendar. Putting ourselves first can be a difficult and unfamiliar step but becoming wellness-centric will help us overcome many of the challenges in retirement. 

You need to just start 

Joe told us that he always considered himself “finny”- skinny but kind of fat.   He was getting a workout once a week playing basketball, but that was about it.  Then he suddenly had an injury and it motivated him to get back in shape.  He got started on his road to wellness by implementing small, consistent incremental changes, using a 1% rule of thumb to add 1% more to his workout every day.  He began his post-surgery fitness plan with his physical therapy regimen and set a goal to get back into the shape he was in college.  He started with PT, then slowly moved on to joining and regularly working out at the gym, gradually adding on riding a bicycle, which led to signing up for triathlons and finally finding his named Cross-Fit success.  He started feeling better, sleeping better, and even looking better.  Joe made a commitment to feeling better.  He knew how he would feel after working out, and that kept him motivated.    

1% Incremental changes start now

We all know that creating, implementing, and sustaining a physical wellness plan is easier said than done.  The same model applied for his nutrition.  As Joe began to work out more, he increasingly saw the need to begin a nutritional plan and incrementally added vitamins and supplements to help him recover from his intense workouts.     Joe’s focus on his physical wellbeing helped him overcome not just his injury, but redefined his purpose in life, which segued into a whole new second career that has kept him active and motivating others.  He didn’t retire, but he left his corporate job and found a new career in line with his passion for helping others achieve their wellness goal through vitamins and supplements. 

Plan ahead

Build a vision that motivates you to take that first step.  Joe shared with us his analogy on how he manages life like an 18 hole round of golf – How you want to play the last 16^th, 17^th, and 18^th holes, matter on how you planned in the beginning of your game.

You can’t just show up at the end of the game and expect to win if you haven’t been making strategic decisions along the way.    

We all have habits that have been with us for years, or even decades. Some have worked well for us, and others not so much. Retirement can allow for the bad habits to begin to take over, but it doesn’t have to be that way!  Follow Joe’s story on how his health became equally important to him as his wealth and how he encourages individuals looking to revamp and reenergize their retirement wellness plan and replacing those bad habits.

We hope that you are now motivated to wake up tomorrow morning, maybe do 10 pushups, 5 sit ups and 10 leg lifts as a start!  

Let’s build a global community of like-minded people who want to have a different kind of retirement.  Be sure to join our free Facebook Group, Retirement Transformed Community and you will be the first to know about all our upcoming webinars and events!