The Curious Case Of Cryptogee - The 20 Year Old Born 46 Years Ago!

Today I finally got a health MOT (check-up) at my health centre, it has been something I've been meaning to do for a while now, but time and also the gym's computer system crashing have conspired against me.

The whole test takes about 30-40 minutes and I was extremely pleased with the results, and the physical trainer (PT) testing me was quite shocked by the results.

Ageing Backwards

I'm not going to limp into my 40s, I will roar into them!

Cryptogee circa 2005

I remember at around the age of 35, I said to my friend that I had decided to start ageing backwards. She laughed of course, but I told her I was serious, I believed through a combination of physical exercise and sheer will I could make it happen.

For a time it did not seem as if that was the case, however a couple of years ago at the biological age of 44 I started to follow the AthleanX fitness channel on Youtube.

It is run by Jeff Cavalier a PT who claims to put the 'science back into fitness', and I highly recommend it, my physical gains, not just in size but in strength have been incredible.

As you may know if you follow this blog, I have recently giving up smoking the 'erb, however I always felt that being physically active practically nullified the negative effects of smoking.

Turned out I was right!

Weight To Height Ratio

When I was 25 I was 88 kilos, today as you can see from the graphic I am 91, which is fine by me as I've put on a lot of muscle in the past couple of years.

At 6'4" or 1.94 metres this is a good weight range for me to be in.

Body Mass Index

My BMI as it is known, is healthy at less than 25, though I would like to get this down to around 22-23, I think that is possible now, simply because I won't be getting the munchies every 5 minutes.

Hip To Weight Ratio

I was never really worried about this as I'm naturally slim, however even slim people get heart disease so it was good to find out that my ratio was healthy for a man of my age or even slightly younger.

Blood Pressure

My BP has always been around 80 over 120, it was a little high today, but my PT said that there could be other factors and wasn't overly worried.

I'll keep an eye on this one.

VO2 Max Aerobic Fitness

OK, this is where I blew my PT away, he couldn't actually believe it. Apparently I have the aerobic capacity of an elite athlete!

Woohoo! As you can see by the chart, if I was under 25 (over 20 years younger) greater than 62 would be amazing, 68 as my PT said; 'is off the chart!'

I must admit this one surprised me; whilst I feel stronger than I've ever done before, I didn't think my aerobic capacity was particularly special, especially as I've smoked (weed) most of my life.

Resting Heart Rate

As far back as I can remember I've always had a resting heart rate (RHR) of 60 bpm, today it was 62 so pretty much the same, and I'm sure if I took a reading now it would be closer to 60.

Cholesterol

I have never had this measured however this was more cause for my PT to start wowing and muttering praises under his breath, apparently my levels are great for somebody in their 20s let alone mid-to-late 40s.

Blood Sugar Levels

I had in fact eaten within the two hours and drunk a smoothie, the reason being my appointment was put back from 1 p.m. to 2:30 and I hadn't had anything to eat and was famished!

So there's every likelihood my blood sugar levels are even better than the healthy 4.4 mmol/L registered. Next time I won't eat and will get a more accurate reading.

Hydration Alcohol Caffeine & Sleep

These are metrics which rely on the user, and so I answered as honestly as I could. For instance I don't drink enough water and get 6 hours of pretty good sleep (not withstanding last night!) a night.

Alcohol I always find hard to answer, I had a drink on the weekend and sometimes I drink in the week, however it is not uncommon for me to go a couple of weeks without an alcoholic drink. So I made this about 3-6 units per week, a unit is about a half pint (approx 250ml) of beer.

Final Score

Wowzer bobowzer!! A score of 88 takes me to the top 10% of people tested by the one hundred and eleven Nuffield Fitness & Wellness Centres across England & Wales.

Awesome, I'm aiming to get that to greater than 92, as that would put me in the top 10% for people under 20 years old (greater than 16).

Keep Going!

The moral of the story here is you're never too old to keep yourself in good shape regardless of your lifestyle. There are healthier things you can do like stopping smoking, not drinking so much and spending time each day around nature.

However the biggest impact on your life will always be physical exercise, and it only takes a few weeks to turn it into a habit.

Age is but a number and I can't wait till I'm 50, as I just feel like I'm getting stronger and fitter with each year passing, if I can do it at 46; then so can you!!

Goals

I want to get to plus 90 fitness score, and I want to be able to do a 'flag', which is holding myself horizontally on a pole with my arms extended, just grabbing on with my hands. I'd like to be able to do this within 12 months.

BEFORE EMBARKING ON A PROGRAM OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE, ALWAYS REMEMBER TO GET MEDICAL ADVICE IF YOU HAVE PREEXISTING CONDITIONS OR IF YOU HAVE LED A SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

LET ME KNOW BELOW YOUR FITNESS GOALS AND ACHIEVEMENTS!

Title Image: Kate Trysh on Unsplash

Cryptogee