I’m always surprised by how many people refer to themselves as “old.”
People often say they are “too old” to do a certain kind of exercise. Or, they say things like, “I used to have more energy, but now I’m old.”
It does not matter what someone’s actual age is. Even people still in their twenties occasionally tell me they are “old.” It’s especially interesting to me when the person telling me they are “old” is younger than me!
August 20, 2026, was my 45th birthday.
It feels weird to write that because I don’t feel like or see myself as someone who is 45 years old.
According to my WHOOP fitness tracker, my physiological age (aka “Whoop Age”) was 31.1 years old when I turned 45. See image below.
My health and fitness metrics made me 31% younger than my chronological age at my 45th birthday. In addition, my physiological age had decreased in the previous twelve months, which suggests I’m aging backwards. 🙂
Many people in their forties and beyond make jokes or complain about being “old.”
Here is the reality. If your energy level and fitness are not where you want them to be, it is not because of your age. It is because of your mindset and habits.
You become what you repeat.
Energy and fitness don’t decline rapidly because of age. They decline rapidly when unhealthy habits have had more time to accumulate and compound.
A steep drop is not because of aging. It’s due to the cumulative impact of neglecting sleep, being too sedentary, not doing enough strength training, drinking too much alcohol, eating too much junk food, and other harmful behaviors.
Age is a convenient excuse, but it’s not the real reason why vitality plummets for many people.
With all the advancements in knowledge and technology over the last twenty years, people are staying strong and vibrant for longer and longer.
Pro athletes are playing well into their forties. For example, consider Tom Brady, LeBron James, Lindsey Vonn, Diana Taurasi, Serena Williams, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Regular people are defying their age for longer, too. For example, I used to work with a man who competed in triathlons into his late eighties!
Here is the key: he was incredibly meticulous with his habits, he had a phenomenal mindset, and he never used his age as an excuse. He used it as added motivation.
Of course, we are all aging every day. So what?
You can lament the fact that we all get older every day, or you can fight the aging process and do everything possible to slow it down.
Never think of yourself as “old.” The moment you think you are “old,” your aging process speeds up.
Your mindset and habits matter much more than your age. Never let your age define you or hold you back.
Here is a photo of me dunking a small basketball a few weeks ago. Not bad for someone who is 6’1″ and 45.
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About the Author
Pete Leibman is a speaker and author who helps consultants, lawyers, and advisors build the energy, focus, and resilience to sustain high performance. He delivers keynotes, workshops, and webinars for leading consulting firms, law firms, and financial services firms. Pete is the author of three books and more than 300 articles on high performance. His latest book is Stronger Advisor: High-Performance Habits for Consultants, Lawyers, and Advisors.
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