In a Jan 30, 2024 interview by Business Insider, Neurosurgeon, Wellness Expert and Triathlete, Dr. Joseph Maroon, related his recommends for a healthy lifestyle to start when you are young.  The article, entitled, An 83-year-old neurosurgeon who does triathlons has 3 tips for younger people who want to be as fit and healthy as him.

Here are Dr. Maroon’s recommendations:

Start with a walk

• “You don’t have to start with a triathlon,” he said. “Just start with a walk.“
• Experts agree starting slowly is the best way to start a new fitness journey and make sustainable changes.
• Start with 15 to 20 minutes every day or other day to give your body a chance to adjust and your mind to get used to it
• There are innumerable ways to do aerobic activity these days, from triathlons to running on a treadmill or using an elliptical, pick an exercise that works for you.

Do resistance training and flexibility exercises

• As well as aerobic activity, people should also do resistance training and flexibility exercises.
• I like to do pilates, but also recommended stretching, yoga, or isometric exercises for flexibility, and using bands and weight-lifting for resistance training.
• Other ways to build muscle for beginners, such as rucking (walking with a backpack), rowing, and lifting weights.

Address the balance in your life

• Finding a balance between work and family commitments has also been key to improving fitness.
• Before he started taking care of his health, he was “unaware how I was sacrificing everything for my work. I was one-dimensional,” he said.
• Read Dr. Maroon Square One Book