By MSc Gvapo Tripinovic

The short answer is to check your medical data and tell yourself how you feel about your health. A longer and better answer requires a bit more conversation with yourself.
Usual questions are: Is it possible to get fit after 40, ways to know your actual age, will I have some results if I start exercising in my 40s?
The truth is that almost any dad can be fit and healthy in his 40s. Look yourself in the mirror, and if you are happy with what you see, you are probably good physically and mentally. You can look and feel great.
Age is a number, correct? Yes, but as the numbers grow, certain things become a bit harder to get. Still, they are not impossible, just harder to get.

Your targets should be reasonable and not based on some influencers you can see posing, photoshopped, on God knows what chemicals, and in their 20s. If you are unhappy with what you see while looking at yourself in the mirror, you can work on it and become healthy and look great.
As I wrote in my article ” How to be a fit and healthy dad after your 40th birthday?” it is essential that you start and learn how much and what to do safely.

Yet, from time to time, a dad must have solid proof that we do not imagine things. We need to have some tangible evidence that we are healthy, capable, and fit, so we can even challenge guys half our age. A proof to ourselves that we are still in our prime years, despite the number of candles on our birthday cake.

To fulfill all the above stated, I did a research of what are the recommendations given by world authorities such are: the World Health Organization (WHO), Center for Disease Control Prevention (CDC), Harward Medical School (Never too late: Exercise helps late starters – Harvard Health) or great trusted websites such as The Well (About The Well | The Well by Northwell) and others. All of them agree that walking is one of the safest ways to keep your health at any age. It is one of the essential things our body does, and it does it great.

After establishing that and the fact that I have always loved to walk, I decided to move this to another level to prove that I am still a great, fit, healthy dad. A couple of weeks ago, I celebrated my 45th birthday. Perfect occasion.

45th birthday Marathon Challenge goals:

1. Have a long full-length marathon walk – 42.195 km (26 miles 385 yards).
2. Time from start to finish up to 8 hours (standard time for young athletes is 6 to 8 hours, while for marathon runners is 4.5 hours – How Long It Takes to Walk a Marathon: Preparation and Training (verywellfit.com)).
3. No stops & breaks. A complete marathon needs to complete in one continuous walk.
4. No food until the challenge is complete (from start to finish).
5. Not to get injured in the process.

Of course, I didn’t go on this unprepared. Alone or with my walking buddy, I walked three times per week, distances of 8-10 Km (5 – 6.2 miles) and at least 5+ km (3.1+ miles) every other day for months.

This is how my average week looks as measured by Google Fit (Google Fit).

My body statistics and profile as in by Google Fit (Google Fit):

Goals have been set, and the day of the challenge has arrived.
It was a lovely August day but a bit warmer than I hoped it would be: 32C (89.6 Fahrenheit). Unfortunately, as I had a busy schedule for the coming weeks, this was the only day I could do this.

Before I put my sneakers on, I measured my body weight to compare the results before and after I finished my marathon.

82.65 Kg (182.21 Pounds)

The marathon walking challenge was rewarding, at the moments challenging, but above everything else fun and fulfilling experience. The results and data can be seen on the following screens – taken from my Google Fit (Google Fit).

1. Walking distance over-achieved: 45.73 Km (28.41 Miles)
2. Time to finish: 429 min or 7 hours and 12 minutes
3. No stops and breaks: done
4. No food until the challenge is completed: done
5. Not to get hurt in the process: I was soar but not hurt, so I will consider this goal achieved too.

Note: Calories presented on the left side are the total calories spent since the day started (for some 16 hours). On the right is presented the number of calories, I burned during the challenge.

What astonished me was how much water I lost in the process.

Starting weight and weight, I measured as soon as I had completed the challenge. I have lost 5.05 liters (1.33 gallons) of fluids.
It is good to mention that during the marathon, I took 3 liters of slightly salty water (to keep electrolytes in my body at safe levels).

To check how much I had really lost, I measured my weight in the coming two days so my body could have enough time to rehydrate. During this period, I didn’t eat that much. On the day I completed the challenge, I barely ate anything, but I had a long and excellent sleep. On the second day, I eat my usual rations, so there is nothing to add as additional weight, and here are the results.

As you can see, the total fat burnt in the process (as sugars are replenished in two days) is not that much: 600 grams or 1.32 pounds.

Our bodies are perfect machines. If you treat it well, nourish it, and moderately change it to stay in good shape, it will recover quickly from anything.
As you can see from this experiment, I did on myself, dads with 45 years can do great, be fit and healthy, and achieve excellent results.

5 Conclusions after walking a marathon after my 45th birthday:

1. Dads at 45 can do great, be healthy, fit, and achieve outstanding results, which can shame young guys half the age. These results will prove to you and your partner that you are capable and still have a great life ahead. Your kids will be proud of their dad and know he will be there to play and be a reliable support for many years.

2. Dads at 45, mental and physical health will greatly improve with regular exercise. Achieving results like I did and described above will significantly improve self-confidence. All will see that change — your partner, kids, and at work.

The relationship between frailty and mental cognition of physical strength is bound. That psychological construct will reflect self-perception of aging (Negative perceptions of aging modify the association between frailty and cognitive function in older adults – ScienceDirect). Your perception of your mental and physical condition will strongly reflect how you age. You can be fragile with deteriorating mental abilities, or you can be healthy, vital, and with a sharp mind. You can sit in front of the TV, list the excuses why you can’t make your life better, or believe in yourself and do something about it. 

With all that in mind, dads, you are better to perceive yourself as not just good but great. And achieving great, measurable, and tangible results will only enforce that in your mind and motivate you to continue.

3. Is it hard to gain excellent health and physique when you are 45? 

It is. It sucks how long it takes. 

We are not talking about weeks. You can lose weight in weeks, but you will not get healthy and fit in your 40s in weeks. That’s simply not true. At least not in an all-natural way.

It will take years, and you will probably not be on the level you wanted, but you will be much closer and look at your old self as a joke. 

When you go for a marathon walk at 90 degrees and no shade around, it is hard and, at some moments, easy to consider quitting. Yet, I have learned that the moments you find challenging and unpleasant are nothing compared to some other occasions you probably went through. The moments that suck will challenge you and make you tougher and more proud of yourself once you have done them. Once you pass that, gain good health, and strengthen physically and mentally, then you can achieve much more. Be sure you will be proud of it. 

4. It feels great to complete the marathon in your 40s.

You feel stronger and better and can achieve many other things now that your confidence is self-propelled by the fact that you did it. 

5. Why is it essential to do great challenges, such as marathons, at 45?

As a human being, there are two choices, two paths, when you have a challenge in front of you — imposed challenge or the one you put there to test your resolve and abilities. 

Unfortunately, many take the path of complaining, finding excuses, and quitting. Or to see that challenge, that uphill battle, as an opportunity to improve your position, physical strength, mental resolve, and grasp what persistent long-term effort and dedication can bring. Grab the second option. See how it will improve you and open new possibilities you thought were unreachable. Let that victory bring you further confidence in your abilities. You will feel that. You will see how much you can improve in 6 months or a year. A year passes quickly despite of whether you do something or not. But, if you do it, you will see a better version of yourself. After a couple of such years, you can have skills and abilities you could not imagine not long ago. That can bring you new opportunities and open new doors. Socially and professionally. 

In a few years more, the difference will be tremendous. You will be more open to many opportunities surrounding each of us, which can lead you to better versions of yourself. You will be readier to grab them – one at a time – and improve your life. It will be great. All of it is because you have chosen to be a better version of yourself, a better dad.