"Sandwich generation" stress? Introducing Go Long: An optimistic, empathetic and pragmatic solution for YOU
[Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 30 seconds.]
I’m hitting ‘THE’ button. The launch button. That’s right. I’m officially out of the ‘proof of concept’ stage and am launching something I have been working on for pretty much all 2023.
How did this idea come about?
It started with me chatting with friends and family in the ‘sandwich generation’ (more on this below) around the stressors in their lives. And how those stressors precluded them from taking care of themselves - physically and mentally.
A friend put an idea into my head that my road to getting healthy could help others struggling to chart a path for themselves. It was a very non-linear journey.
That’s how Go Long was born. It's time for you to have community and wellness options that work for you, and not for someone else.
In future editions of this newsletter, I’ll get into some of the specifics including some of the ugly bits. I’ll also cover some of the practices that have worked for me and why.
What do you mean by the ‘sandwich generation’?
This refers to a group of people roughly between the ages of 40 and 60, who are parenting their children while also taking care of their parents. This can have different flavors such as if you have adult children or grandchildren living with you. Depending on your family, it can start before 40 and continue after 60.
This phase also coincides with peak earning years and some health issues of your own (and/or your partner) to contend with.
In essence, it’s about the state of what is happening in YOUR world.
And when you add all that up, it takes a toll on all aspects of your health.
I know. I can empathize.
Are you one of those people who wants to invest more time in yourself but are unsure how to go about it?
You said Go Long is an OPTIMISTIC solution?
Go Long is a pragmatic, empathetic and, yes, optimistic solution. What I covered above is around empathy and knowing what this walk entails. The optimism comes in with reframing how people generally go about trying to get healthy.
September, 2004 walking Cinque Terre in Italy. Lowest point in terms of my fitness and health with rheumatoid arthritis and not taking care of myself.
In the 75+ interviews I conducted, I was struck by how many people quit ‘personal trainers’ because they felt they weren’t listened to in terms of their personal goals and capabilities. Imagine that?
People YOU pay to help YOU aren’t listening to YOU!
Fitness and wellness after 35 does not need to be dysfunctional. You don’t need to relive your glory years. As a matter of fact, exercise physiologists and physical therapists discussed this in a recent NYT article. It’s not about getting ripped and having a six-pack.
Go Long is about helping you move better today and in the future. And if I can make these changes, you can too. I won’t say it will be easy, but I can promise the trip we take will focus on your life goals and be practical. Goals for your today and for your future.
Imagine if you could ski all week for your big ski trips and not have your knees swear at you?
What if you could garden all weekend and not have your back scream at you?
Visualize being able to walk around Europe knowing your body is able to keep up. Because let’s face it, Europe is not ADA friendly!
Think about being able to keep up with your kids or grandkids in their activities
Go Long can help you be optimistic about the future. Let's throw the mindset of “our best years are behind us” out the window!
July, 2023 at the top of Reinebringen in Norway. 1600 feet in 7/10ths of a mile. Took about 50 minutes. Very different than Cinque Terre 19 years earlier.
You’re envisioning this future but you don’t know where to start
Yes, this is where the pragmatism piece comes in. As I mentioned earlier, I have done this work. It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t always moving in a positive direction. And then perimenopause came up on me and I didn’t even know it was happening! Sound familiar?
When you work with Go Long, we work together to understand your learning style and the activities that matter to you. We discuss how you like to train, eat and all the lifestyle factors going on in your life. This means not even discussing your height and your weight. It does mean talking about your typical day-to-day schedule and how you divide your time, and what kind of stressors you have in your life.
Then we talk about finding the right coach to work with you depending on what you need help with. For some, it is fitness. For others, it is nutrition, sleep or stress management. It could be one coach covering all the above! It might be an in-person option or it could be virtual. The possibilities are endless.
Still wondering if this is the right approach for you?
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again. And expecting a different result. Have you tried this before and not been successful in reaching your goals?
Go Long can help.
Get in touch.
Schedule a call here.
Oh, before I forget….
Go Long is available throughout the entire US.
Go Long does not take referral fees from any service providers in the network. We're incentivized towards finding the right solution for you.