I ran track and cross-country in high school, and have been training martial arts since I was 13. When I graduated, i weighed about 150. I have held in the range of 150-155 since then, and I am 34 now. I have had times when I have ranged as high as 165, but for the most part, when my training has been consistant, i have held the 150-155.
In my early and mid twenties I trained capoeira like a fiend. My weight stayed about the same, maybe dropped a few pounds, but my fitness level was higher than any other time. I was quite "cut" physically.
My focus in the last several years has been in the Chinese arts, and I practice a lot of forms. Very long forms, that are done all out like a sprint. Each one takes about two minutes to perform, so it can be pretty intense and exhausting.
I think many of us find ourselves in a lifestyle that lends itself to being sendentary. We sit at a desk all day, and watch TV at night. Perhaps our metabolism can slow as we age, but I think it shouldn't be too extreme in the 30s, and even 40s or 50s. Look for ways to make your life more "mobile". If possible, walk to work in the morning instead of driving. When you take your lunch break, go for a brisk walk, instead of sitting in a restaurant eating a burger. Then eat lunch at your desk, and choose something more healthy, even if you have to bring it from home. Instead of turning on the TV at night, stop and think if you might rather go for another walk, or would be better off training, even if it is at home and you don't have room to do a lot. Any bit that you do is better for you than watching TV. You may even start to enjoy it!
Make choices in your life that create a "mobile" lifestyle. It is the constant movement that keeps you fit. This will boost your martial arts or gym training immensly, and you will see it in your fitness level. Extra pounds will start to disappear. Training intensly at a gym three days a week, but doing nothing else in the mean time isn't going to do it. You need movement every day, more than once a day.
Once upon a time, most people lived and worked in a way that included some sort of physical labor. We didn't have the heart disease and obesity in our society that we have now. Maybe we can recapture that fitness level.
Watch what you eat. We all know this, but it is way too easy to fail in this. My office has candy sitting around constantly. I have to make a daily decision to not eat it by the shovel full.
Make conscious dietary decisions and don't just grab what is easy and convenient. Most of what is easy and convenient is not good for you, and you can do without it.
Yes, as we age, our bodies change. But I believe they don't need to change nearly so drastically as many people experience. There are many things that we can do to keep our lifestyle healthier, and keep these negative changes at bay for much longer. You just have to make some decisions, and be willing to stick to them. And the occasional violation is not the end of the world, just get back on track, it's ok.
I believe we are all much more capable than we are conditioned to believe. As a culture, we have eccepted mediocrity, but we don't have to. Bring yourself up from that, and demand better of yourself.
We are all martial artists. Hopefully, we all enjoy our training for its own sake. Martial arts can be a great avenue for fitness. But you have to enjoy it. This is very important. No matter how effective an exercise program may be, if you don't enjoy it, you will eventually quit and it will do no good. If you enjoy your training, you should never have this problem. Always seek to find what it is that you enjoy about your training, and keep that in focus.
