“I learned that challenging your body to do more than it already can is the scientific basis for fitness. In essence, you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
— James Owen, author, inspirational speaker, and social entrepreneur
At some point in everyone’s life, fitness has been made a goal. Not many, however, are able to achieve it. By the age of 50, most either give up or just stop bothering. Very rarely do you come across someone beyond 70 who still pushes hard every day to be supremely fit. Meet James Owen, the 77-year old Wall Street rainmaker-turned-fitness-inspiration who is in the best shape of his life.
Deciding to Get Fit at 70
James had a successful 35-year career at Wall Street. At the ripe age of 70, James realized his years in a chair-bound lifestyle had taken a toll on his body. He decided to get fit—yes, at 70!
In his own words, “I recognized the standard ‘bodybuilding’ approach was not the way to address the physical realities that come with age. I realized I had to set out on my own journey of discovery and transformation.”
Getting fit at 70 is more about mind than body. James shares, “As we age, working out can be mentally and emotionally taxing: the hardest part of getting in shape at an older age is the mentality of it.”
James’ Success Mantra
At 70, when he set out to get fit, he admits he was clueless as to how to go about it and was fearful of getting hurt. His learned that the body can be trained to become fitter and flexible one small step at a time.
James says, “I learned that challenging your body to do more than it already can is the scientific basis for fitness.” James believes one needs to constantly strive to get better. Small, steady advances add up to transformative changes over time.
Helping Others by Sharing His Experiences
James wasn’t content, however, to just get healthy himself. He wanted others to benefit from his life-altering experience. So, what did he do? Well, he wrote a book— Just Move!: A New Approach to Fitness After 50. Wall Street Journal has named James’ book as one of the six best books about healthy aging in 2017.
This idea of discomfort as the path to progress can indeed apply to many other endeavors. James quips, “At my age, getting fit is incredibly empowering. If I can do this, what else can I do?”
