Last month I had rules on my mind. One of the great, or not so great, experiences we have as we gain more and more experiences, is that things change. Absolutes that were true now have nuances. Trends in workouts and diet styles may have more validity for certain people than others. If you’ve ever reached a plateau or had to quit a routine that quit working for you, I have some good news. Even though things change, there are still answers to the question about whether you can feel your best at any age.

Those of you who are wiser (and maybe older) than me have undoubtedly experienced a frustrating workout and eating plan. George Bernard Shaw eloquently said, “Youth is wasted on the young.” but I would argue that an older body does not equal a broken body. And in fact, many people find their best groove after 40.

One of my clients is racing faster now at 68 than when he was in his 40’s. A 60 year old client is 15 pounds leaner than when he was 50. My 67 year old friend does more manual labor than anyone I know, including two of my kids who work in landscaping. My 48 year old peri-menopausal client just lost 20 pounds without more exercise. My 43 year old female client lost 15 pounds using macro counting, nutrient supplements and strength training. A 75 year old lost 40 pounds by changing his diet and adding cardio. And there’s lots more.

Every one of us are on a unique course over (hopefully) many years, so why would we assume that what worked for us, or someone we read about, at one point in our lives, will always work? Or why would we try to apply scientific research with young men to menopausal women and older men? Why do we assume an organization that was created for and funded by specific industries, could issue an objective guideline for millions of Americans to stay healthy, like the food guide pyramid? Why don’t we rely on our own experiences more for how we feel and how our bodies grow and move as the rule to live by? These were some of the rules I was contemplating recently, and maybe here are some answers:

1. Are trendy diets all fluff? No. Low calorie, high protein, high fat, all protein, all produce, a complete blend of everything…these all have places for different people. Does everyone need to be a vegan? No. Or how about we all turn carnivore? No, too! But there is a place for a flexible eating plan that we should all look into when what we’ve been doing stops working.

2. What exercise is best? Well…it depends! Here’s what works: walking, strength training, cycling, running, cross-fit, yoga, pilates, swimming, sports, and also general moving. It has never been all or nothing, one or the other. It is what works for you.

3. What supplements should we all take? For starters, that depends (sound familiar, yet?). We can probably all assume that we are short in some major antioxidants and we live inside most of the time, so we need some things. There is no broad brush we can sweep across everyone, even in the same age and activity level. But it’s safe to say that most of us need to supplement our diets with additional nutrients depending on what we’re experiencing.

Of all the answers that we want, maybe the most important one is to answer ourselves: how do we want to live in our current demographic and in the future? Then we work on where we’re at now to get there!

Here are some of the things I’ve been researching lately, and if you’re interested, let’s have a chat!

• Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy/balancing hormones with food and exercise

• Keto, paleo, vegetarian, low-calorie and carnivore diets

• Insulin resistance and menopause

• Fasting for healing

• Exercise programming for the female cycle

• Neuroplasticity and fitness

• Sauna and sound therapy

I can remember in college thinking that I wanted to spend my work time finding answers for questions I had about my body, and those of my clients. It’s been a long time since then, and there are still new ideas to consider! If you’ve been at your routine for a while, are bored, tired, unmotivated and frustrated, don’t stay there. There are lots of ways to make your body the high functioning machine it was made to be.