“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” — Mark Twain
Aging is inevitable, but how we age is largely within our control. Science is revealing that our beliefs about aging may be just as powerful as our lifestyle choices. One of the most compelling pieces of evidence comes from a groundbreaking study discussed in David Robson’s book The Expectation Effect.
In this study, a group of elderly participants was taken to a retreat designed to replicate life as it was 20 years earlier. Every detail, from the décor to the media they consumed, transported them to a time when they were younger. Participants were encouraged to live as if it were that era — dressing, moving, and engaging with the world as they did two decades prior. The results were astonishing. By the end of the study, participants showed significant improvements in strength, flexibility, and posture. Perhaps most remarkably, when shown photographs of the participants before and after the retreat, outside observers judged them to look younger.
This powerful example underscores a vital truth: how we think about aging influences how we experience it. But mindset alone isn’t enough. Pair it with strength training, movement, and purposeful activity, and you have a recipe for vibrant aging.
The Trap of Acting Your Age
Society sends a subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) message: “Act your age.” This phrase often implies slowing down, taking it easy, and accepting physical decline as inevitable. But what if, instead, we chose to act as if we were 20 years younger? Would it change how we moved, exercised, and approached life?
The study from The Expectation Effect suggests it would. Participants didn’t just sit around pretending they were younger — they acted it. They moved with purpose, engaged their minds, and carried themselves with energy. Movement begets movement. As the body moves, the mind follows.
For those of us striving to be “Athletes of Aging,” this concept is a game-changer. It’s not about pretending to be something you’re not — it’s about reclaiming the energy, strength, and vitality that still resides within you.
Muscle: The Fountain of Youth
While mindset is the starting point, muscle is the mechanism. Physical decline with age isn’t inevitable — it’s a choice we make when we stop challenging our bodies. Strength training is one of the most effective ways to push back against aging. It improves strength, bone density, balance, enhances mobility, and maintains independence. More than that, it tells your brain, “I am still capable.” How many times do you hear someone saying "I couldn't do that", "you shouldn't lift so heavy at your age" or "at my age.....".
When you lift weights, you engage in a literal act of resistance — resistance against gravity, resistance against aging, and resistance against the false narrative that older adults should “take it easy.” By doing so, you tell your body to adapt. Muscles grow stronger, bones become denser, and the nervous system stays sharp. Not only that, we expand the mind on what is possible. I had a recent new client join our group training session comment "I cannot imagine doing that" after watching another client squatting 90lbs. for 6 reps. The other client has been training for four months. I told the new client that now he could not but slow progress over time there is no reason he couldn't in several months.
In many ways, strength training is a modern-day version of the “20-year rewind” retreat. Each workout is a reminder that you are not bound by your chronological age. You expand your mind on what you are capable of, but you actually become more capable at a physical and metabolic level as well. Remember, "muscle doesn't know age, it only knows effort or lack" there off and "disuse is its own abuse." You’re training to raise your floor, a concept familiar to athletes and sports psychologists like Andy Gillham. Instead of chasing extraordinary peaks of performance, you focus on raising your baseline — making everyday movement and strength second nature.
Adopt a ‘Younger’ Mindset — Literally
To embody the spirit of the retreat participants, it’s time to shift your thinking. Here’s how you can “act 20 years younger” in your daily life:
1. Move with Purpose: Get up like you have somewhere to be. Walk with intention. Stop using age as an excuse for “shuffling” or “plodding.” Your brain will believe what your body shows it.
2. Prioritize Strength Training: Lift weights. Learn proper technique, follow a plan, with progressive overload, beginning at your current capabilities. Train your body to handle the demands of life, not just in the gym but in everyday activities. This builds strength and confidence. I would love to help you with this if you are ready.
3. Challenge Balance and Agility: Practice balance drills, stand on one foot while brushing your teeth, or take a tai chi class. Balance training isn’t just for injury prevention — it builds mental and physical resilience. We incorporate some balance drills in our strength sessions at Moe Strength but the act of getting stronger will improve balance itself. Also, squatting and deadlifting while used mainly for improving strength and building muscle and bone also requires balance. This is why we prefer barbells and free weights to machines.
4. Dress the Part: Don’t underestimate the power of how you dress. Clothes that fit well and reflect a vibrant, active mindset can have a psychological impact. In the retreat study, participants dressed in clothes from 20 years earlier — and their movements mirrored that.
5. Control Your Self-Talk: Stop saying “I’m too old for this.” If you catch yourself thinking that, reframe it. Instead, say, “I’m getting stronger every day” or “I’m aging powerfully.” Your mind will follow the words you feed it.
Conclusion: Don’t Act Your Age — Act Your Potential
The aging process isn’t something to be feared. It’s a chance to embrace and grow stronger, wiser, and more resilient. Studies like the one in The Expectation Effect reveal that our beliefs about aging directly impact our physical reality. By adopting a mindset that defies the typical script of aging, you can experience profound physical changes.
Pair that with strength training, purposeful movement, and the refusal to “act your age,” and you’ll discover that vitality isn’t something we lose — it’s something we give away when we stop trying.
So don’t act your age. Act like the best version of yourself. Because you’re still that person — stronger, wiser, and more powerful than ever.
If you are ready to stop acting your age and begin your journey of strength please reach out today, because Everyone Needs Moe Strength.
Nate Moe
Personal Strength Coach
605-695-0496
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