In my 20's, I never had any doubt about my physical ability. So a simple workout consisting of weight-lifting and some form of cardio (usually a run) was all I needed to keep fit. As much as I love to get exercise, back then it was almost an afterthought. I could roll into the gym on 5 hours sleep and power through a workout and then go for a 3 mile run and not even think about it.

As I approach 40, I think very differently about my overall health.

I'm mortal. I get aches and pains. There is less "bouncing back" and more thud. I routinely get more aches and pains than I did a decade ago. And even though that should be obvious to anyone--including me--the only thing it reminds me of is the need to keep moving. And now that I'm so keenly aware of my own mortality, I feel this ache in my heart to keep myself healthy all the way to the end, whenever that may be.

There's a great bumper sticker quote: "Live hard. Die young. And have a good-looking corpse." Fuck that. Live well, die old, and be able to stand on your own two feet, right to your very last day.

And so now I workout truly without taking it for granted. This is my religion. This is my wellness. I do this to prove to myself that I'm living well and not just living.

And here I am. At a fresh 37, gracefully trying to maintain a gift I was given at a very young age. The gift of good health.