This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Phil Mackenzie, a 37-year-old fitness influencer from Burlington, Ontario. It has been edited for length and clarity.
My nanny and granddad can do anything. They move the most out of everyone I’ve ever met. My grandad does 500 push-ups three times a week, and my nanny walks for two hours every day. I get to see how much better their lives are at 84 and 80 versus other people who can barely get out of a chair at 70.
Fitness has always been in my life, and I think my nanny and grandad are where it came from. They’ve inspired me, and I always prioritize wanting to be strong and fit, lifting weights, and doing cardio because of those two.
My grandad has been lifting weights for six decades
My granddad started lifting weights way before it was mainstream. There are pictures of him in a gym when he was 18, and he’s 84 now. He still lifts weights five times a week, goes on the elliptical three times a week, and walks with my nanny for two hours a day.
And his whole life, he’s always done physical labor. He and my nanny renovated the houses I’ve lived in, and he helped build the house me and my family live in today. He even ran a marathon in his work boots when he was younger, just to see if he could.
I started playing rugby at 13 and weightlifting at 14, which I loved because of my grandad. I saw him lifting weights and how it led to him being confident and capable. So I think I had a deep love for it the moment I started, just because of seeing him do it for so long.
As much as I’d like to work out as often as my grandad, my wife and I have four boys under seven, so I like to keep my workouts short and sweet. I used to be a professional rugby player, but retired at 30. I’ve worked out at home for the last five years.
Usually, I’ll do 30 to 35-minute workouts, four to five times a week. That’s mostly weight training and a little bit of cardio, like high-interval sprint training. On top of that, me and my wife walk our kids to school, and play tennis when we can.
I want to inspire my kids to start healthy habits — just like my grandparents inspired me
I stay fit because I want to be able to do anything for my kids. I find it really hard to imagine not being able to do something physical, especially as a father.
Plus, I want my kids to be inspired the same way my nanny and granddad inspired me. I really think your actions speak louder than words. Obviously, every parent says they want their kids to be healthy, but I think very few are willing to show them.
I never want to pressure my kids to do sports or to work out, but they see me doing just that all the time, and kids really do pick up on everything.
Recently, my youngest, Ash, was with me while I was working out. At no point did I ask him to do anything, but he just grabbed the little five-pound weights and started copying my movements. He’s only one and a half, and he’s trying to do a dumbbell clean or dumbbell swing!
I’ve picked up healthy habits from my grandparents
I don’t remember it, but I was obviously watching my granddad and my nanny do all of these things like my son watches me.
I think that’s why I have such a passion for and commitment to fitness. Whether they knew it or not, my grandparents’ actions have led to all these healthy habits I’ve picked up.
For example, I don’t walk all the way to get my groceries just yet, but I will park the furthest away from the grocery store door so we have to walk further to go in. I’m sure that’s a subconscious little habit I have from nanny.
Home cooking, too — my nanny cooks everything from scratch every day. She makes this one-pot chicken and vegetable curry, which is a go-to meal. And in all these years, I can never remember ever seeing either my nanny or my granddad eat a massive plate or a second portion. They only eat as much as they need to.
I try to eat very similar to how they eat. My wife and I try to limit processed foods as much as possible, and eat lots of protein, fiber, and vegetables.
If you want to be capable and able when you’re older, it’s about just doing the little things now. People often look at fitness as an all or nothing, but I think you can slowly build into it.
Maybe walking to the grocery store is way too hard right now, but you can start by parking at the end of the parking lot like I do, and then build up.
A lot of the healthy habits my nanny and grandad do are free, like walking, cutting out processed foods, not drinking much, and getting enough sleep. But it’s really about building lifelong habits.
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