When someone asks me, Jim, what have you been doing since you left Wall Street?

I usually say, I'm a writer.

In fact, I've written seven books.

One of them, Cowboy Ethics, was a bestseller.

But what I really am is a storyteller.

The story I want to tell today is about my fear, my fear of aging, and what I did about it, and the hope it may encourage and even inspire others to embrace their later years.

as a time of new possibilities and maybe even adventure.

When I turned 70, I was convinced my best days were behind me.

I had the awful feeling that the years ahead, my life would be all downhill.

One thing was certain I was a physical wreck overweight, low energy, and plagued by horrible chronic back pain.

Fast forward and this is me.

At 84, after winning ten gold medals in fitness events, at the California Senior Games At the medal ceremony, someone called out That was incredible.

How on earth did you do it?

I replied, a lot of preparation, a lot of perspiration.

But my journey from couch potato to the podium would never have happened had I not discovered the virtuous circle.

You may have heard the phrase a vicious cycle when things were in a downward spiral, and one bad thing leads to another.

Often it's caused by poor decision.

The exact opposite is a virtuous circle.

The idea if you make one good decision, it will lead to more good decisions in a circle of continuing improvements.

My goal since the start of my transformation 15 years ago has been to make my later years the best they can be.

Discovering the virtuous circle put me on that path and it's kept me moving forward.

Full disclosure I'm not a doctor and believe me, I don't have a Ph.D.

in gerontology.

I'm just an ordinary guy who years ago adopted the philosophy.

If it's going to be, it's up to me.

Here are the five decisions that absolutely changed my life.

It all started with getting geezer fit, so I was physically capable of the things I needed & wanted to do in my day to day life.

It's not about building big muscles or looking good in a bathing suit.

It's about being able to play with your grandchildren.

Take that bucket list trip.

Move around freely and keep living in your own home.

On one thing, the experts can agree.

Exercise is the closest thing we have to a magic bullet against aging.

It's also the first line of defense against the leading causes of death and disability in older adults, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's.

95% of American adults over 60 have at least one chronic condition, and nearly 80% have two or more.

Behind those statistics is a silent killer.

Too much sitting.

Our bodies are meant to move.

Yet far too many of us sit for 10,12 even more hours every single day.

It's no wonder that with age we get weaker, stiffer, and suffer from nagging aches and pains, not to mention arthritis.

How do we change that picture?

For starters, forget the notion that it's too late to get more fit, or that it doesn't matter.

After following 200,000 men for decades, the Harvard alumni study found that those who exercised regularly lived an average of almost seven years longer For many people, the biggest challenge is getting off the couch, especially if they haven't exercised in years.

My suggestion?

Go for a walk 4 or 5 times a week.

The important thing is getting into the exercise habit.

Keep it up and you'll find that the more you do, the more you can do.

You'll be surprised how much better you feel after just a few weeks.

However, walking isn't enough to train your body for life.

You need to work on your stability, flexibility, and strength, especially the strength of the core muscles around your midsection, the ones that keep you erect and help you avoid a serious fall.

Each year, about one fourth of Americans over 65 suffers a fall.

About 3 million ending up in the E.R.

or hospital.

Many people don't realize strength training becomes more important, not less, as we get older.

That's because we gradually but steadily lose lean muscle mass starting in our 30s.

For me, getting into strength training was a game changer in getting stronger.

Week by week turned out to be something I truly enjoyed.

It was also gratifying to have my doctor say that my health markers fit the profile of someone 20 years younger.

If you want to get geezer fit, it's important to start from wherever you are.

Have a seasoned trainer or physical therapist watch you move and do a thorough assessment of your strengths and weaknesses so you can know what you can safely do and what you most need to work on.

Working out doesn't have to be complicated or exhausting.

What makes the most sense when you're older are classic exercises that mimic real life movements and can be tailored to your ability.

It's important to go at your own pace and listen to your body.

If anything starts to hurt.

Finally, think long term if there is a short cut or a quick fix.

I have to tell you, I have yet to find it.

Being functionally fit at an advanced age isn't wishful thinking.

You can do it if you're just willing to get out of your comfort zone.

And I promise, once you start exercising consistently, you'll never want to go back to your old self.

One of the many benefits of regular exercise is being more in touch with your body.

You also become more aware how much you're eating habits affect your physical energy.

Not to mention your weight.

In the early days of my strength training, when I started increasing the intensity, I assumed it wouldnt be hard to lose the excess pounds I was carrying.

I was wrong.

as I learned, unless you're training for the Olympics, you can't expect to lose any substantial amount of weight through exercise alone To lose 1 pound, you've got to burn about 3500 more calories than your body takes in.

Yet, walking a mile burns only about a hundred or so calories at a moderate pace and maybe 200 moving briskly.

That's roughly what's in a glazed donut.

55% of American adults say they need to lose weight.

About 100 million people are clinically obese.

What's clear are the links between obesity and a slew of serious health conditions, from type two diabetes, cancer and heart disease to depression.

What's happened to us?

with increased screen time and more desk jobs, We're far less physically active than our grandparents were.

While exercise alone won't melt the pounds away.

It can be a key factor in maintaining a healthy weight.

The other side of the equation is what we eat.

In the last 50 years, highly processed foods have gone from about 5% to more than 60% of the average Americans calorie intake.

That's led to a big spike in our consumption of sugar, salt, refined flours.

Portions of also gotten way, way bigger.

As a result, the average American adults food intake has risen to more than 3600 calories a day.

Since I started working out I never put much thought into my food choices.

I ate what was convenient.

What tasted good.

What the people around me were eating.

Once I got into strength training, I discovered that getting the right nutrients gave me the physical energy to exercise and get the full benefits.

I begin losing 2 or 3 pounds a month.

That's when I changed my relationship with food.

I started thinking of it is fuel for my body rather than something to gratify my taste buds.

I came up with my version of the Mediterranean diet.

Lots of fish, chicken breasts, eggs, cottage cheese, fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains.

But instead of counting calories, I focused on what not to eat.

Nothing fried.

No rich sauces.

You know, empty carbs or ultra processed foods.

Also cut way, way back on salt and sugar.

Eating leaner and cleaner didn't make me feel deprived at all.

I found that fresh ingredients, simply prepared, actually taste better.

That's not to say I never have a cookie, a glass of wine, or a slice of birthday cake.

I just don't do it every day.

The problem with super restrictive diets they don't work in the long run.

80 to 95% of dieters regain most or all of the weight they lost within 1 to 5 years.

Moderation is much more effective because it's easier to sustain.

That's how our gradually lost 35 pounds and most importantly, have kept it off for over a decade.

I keep a daily food journal where I write down everything I eat and drink.

Here's what it all boils down to when it comes to nutrition.

Make every bite count.

During my 35 years on Wall Street.

It never occurred to me to be concerned about how little and how badly I was sleeping.

We were all sleep deprived.

That was just the price of success in ultra competitive business.

I also assumed when I retired I would sleep like the proverbial baby.

If anything, My tossing and turning only got worse.

While health experts recommend at least seven hours of sleep a night, more than a third of American adults say they fall short of that.

What's more, sleep problems tend to get worse with age.

Studies suggest up to 75% of older adults suffer from insomnia.

Older folks have a harder time falling asleep, wake up more often, and have shorter periods of the deep sleep.

So critical to restoring body and brain.

Chronic sleep deprivation can have serious consequences.

Brain fog.

Greater likelihood of accidents and falls.

A weaker immune system in higher risk of depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline.

Poor sleep also affects how we metabolize fats, which can lead to weight gain and diabetes.

And most alarmingly, more deposits of the arterial plaque known to cause heart disease and strokes.

I didn't want to rely on sleep medication, which can cause problems of its own.So I asked my primary care doctor what else I could do.

He suggested a laundry list of sleep hygiene measures, like keeping the room cool and staying away from TV and computer screens.

An hour or two before bedtime.

I tried it all and even got a new pillow and mattress.

Nothing seemed to work until I got into strength training.

The virtuous circle to the rescue again.

The more active I was, the better I slept.

The better I slept, the more energy I had.

Sleep experts agree that even moderate exercise can help improve both the quality and the duration of your sleep.

They also point out the importance of maintaining a consistent sleep schedule.

So I have adjusted my routines to my natural circadian rhythm.

I start winding down with a short walk after dinner, hit the hay around ten.

Get up bright and early.

When my creative juices seem to flow best.

So if you're one of the millions who struggle with sleepless nights and the feelings of exhaustion and grogginess, the next day, take it from me.

It doesn't have to be that way.

A commonly held myth is the stress levels are lower after you retire.

But the words of the song, it ain't necessarily so.

While career and family demands may ease, older people are hardly immune to worries that affect all ages, like financial pressures and the state of the world.

Age brings its own set of stresses and demands.

Few of us reach 70 without having to deal with some kind of health issue.

What's more, older people often find themselves struggling to cope with loss, grief, downsizing and moving or caring for family members who need help.

I'll leave it to the doctors to explain the dynamics of stress, but the short version is when we see a physical or emotional threat, the body kicks into high gear, turning on the fight or flight response by sending cortisol and adrenaline throughout the body.

That's good in an emergency, but bad if it becomes chronic.

Chronic stress has been linked to digestive problems, heart disease, depression and anxiety, even weight gain and substance abuse.

There is no question that stress is toxic.

Some have declared it a mental health crisis.

So what can we do Here again The virtuous circle comes into play.

Once I got serious about working out my stress level went way, way down.

In turn, my sleep improved and I stopped bingeing on unhealthy foods, constantly being in a hurry.

Compulsively multitasking over scheduling and feeling like we must be productive every minute of the day are harmful habits we can learn to control.

One thing that made a big difference for me was limiting my consumption of news to an hour a day, enough to stay informed, but not so much that it drives me crazy.

There are other things we can do to short circuit stress, like being out in nature.

Theres something about walking on the beach with my wife, Stania.

This seems to make troubles just melt away.

The virtuous circle has made my later years a season of life that's full of growth.

Instead of decline.

Sleeping well.

Managing stress is more positive energy.

Transforming your body gives an incredible boost to your confidence.

So you feel like you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to and meet whatever challenges life throws at you.

This can-do spirit is what led me to chase my dreams and start producing documentary films.

Two of which ran on PBS from coast to coast.

When you wake up feeling good and in charge of your life, it nurtures a sense of possibility.

You see, the day ahead is full of things to do and enjoy with that kind of energy, y ou can pursue whatever matte most to you and brings meaning to your life.

You can nurture long held interests, explore new ones, or give a lift to others, b y being thoughtful and kind.

You also become more alive to the small joys that make life worthwhile.

These days, my focus is on being a better husband, a better father, and a better friend.

Right now you might be thinking, oh, come on, Jim, let's get real.

Aging is no picnic.

Or as Billy Joel put it, getting old sucks.

There's no denying the passing years bring changes we can't fully control.

But having spent the past few years, in a senior living community, I've been able to observe firsthand how good life in your later years can be when you choose to make it that way.

Those who seem happiest and most content aren't the ones who've piled up the most money, or had the most successful careers.

They might even be the ones in the best health, are the people who are still growing and learning because they're curious and they stay connected to something they truly care about.

Whether a hobby, volunteer work, a grandchild, or maybe a pet.

I've also noticed they focus on what they can do, not on what they can no longer do.

They found ways of being physically active that they actually enjoy.

They have fond memories of the past, but still look forward to good times ahead.

I've also seen how they respond to loss, grief, and even grave illnesses with inspiring courage and dignity.

People like that are my heroes.

They demonstrate how full and rich life can be.

When you combine positive energy with the wisdom and experience gained over decades of life.

When you're up in years and approach aging not as something to fear, but as an adventure.

Well, that's what I call winning at life.

Changing life.

Make things happen.

Change your life.

Make things happen.

You'll be the change you want to see.

You see the one you want to be.

You change your ways.

You change your mind.

You leave your baggage far behind.

If we were only older, then.

If we were only older, then.

IYou be the changeO you want to see.

You see the one you want to be.

You change your ways.

You change your mind.

You leave your baggage far behind.

If we were only older, then.

You can change your life.

You can change your mind.

You can make things happen.

Seek and find.

You can get yourself together.

Set to set free.

Keep your eyes wide open.

Or just be.

Just be.

Change your life.