What do I do? Who? Me?

One 51 Year Old Man's Health and Wellness Routine

Mar 19, 2025

As a health, wellness, fitness, and nutrition coach, I am often asked about the things that I do on the regular as far as lifestyle goes in terms of training, nutrition, supplementation, etc. I am reticent to publicly disclose this information because I don’t want people to think or believe that what I do is singularly the right thing to do for everyone. It also seems self indulgent. My partner Arrica1 was kind enough to inform me that it’s actually self indulgent not to. As usual, I am forced to confront my self imposed perceptions about my own propriety and get TF over myself. So here ya go. Here’s one 51 year old, multi-decade, health and fitness advisor’s general wellness regimen. Let’s go!

I have to start this a bit unconventionally, that is to say, with caveats. Everything in this article represents the general protocols I follow 80%-90% of the time. I am not a robot. It’s true I tend to be regimented in most things that I do, but life is short and routines are meant to be broken.2 What’s salient is consistency. To make real progress with anything worth having involves doing the same thing…over and over…ad nauseam, with occasional departures to make sure we’re still human. Caveat number two- this article is not a recommendation. This is simply what I do. Also, I am self employed and my ‘kid’ is 27 years old. I truly recognize and appreciate the luxury of my schedule.3 Let’s start at the beginning…

Morning Routine

Remember that pandemic? It sucked, right? There was one good thing that came from it though, and that is- I was afforded the opportunity to lift my head up from the bustle of owning two businesses and realize just how burnt out I had become. Pre-pandemic, I was at work at 7am, Monday-Friday. My morning routine consisted of getting up to an alarm at 6am, drinking coffee while checking email, shower, quick food while getting my day organized, then out the door by 6:50.4 No longer needing an alarm as a result of having both businesses shuttered, I woke when my body was ready and eased into the day. It was through developing a civilized and productive morning routine that the burn out caused by my former schedule became abundantly evident. Fast forward to the end of the pandemic- I made a promise to myself not to go back to using an alarm and going to work so early.5 That decision is one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. I had the time and desire to continue and expand the morning routine I had developed. I’ve always been a morning person but I no longer ‘waste’ that productivity window being at work. Here’s a rundown of my typical morning:

I usually wake up between 5am-6:30am, depending on what time I went to bed. I drink one cup of coffee while I do a few work things like my bookkeeping and preparing my clients’ sessions for the day. I do all this with my light therapy lamp6 (aka SAD lamp) situated in front of me. After I’ve finished the day planning and coffee I meditate for half an hour to an hour depending on how much time I have. Next I go for the second coffee and check email and maybe read some news. The order here is by design. I don’t want to be upset by anything before I meditate.7 If I still have time I do some writing.8 Lastly, depending on the day, I’ll go for a walk, a run, or get to the gym to work out before my work day starts. Oh yeah, my breakfast is usually a smoothie. What goes in that smoothie and when I have it depends on what type of workout I have that day.

Nutrition

I’ve been mostly vegetarian for over 30 years.9 Depending on what type/phase of training I’m doing, I try to consume 2200-2800 calories per day. I shoot for 130g-180g of protein per day, which comes out to around 520cal-720cal. As a vegetarian I lean heavily on whey protein powder.10

My other main sources of protein are high protein, low fat veggie ‘meats,’ low fat cottage cheese, no fat Greek yogurt,11 all manner of beans, PB Fit,12 low sugar, low fat protein bars13, eggs, high protein tofu, and as mentioned, isolated whey protein. I keep track of my protein consumption over the course of the day and if I haven’t hit my requirement, I’ll top off with a bit of whey protein.14

With protein calories accounted, that leaves 1680cal-2080cal to split between carbs and fat. Studies show that it makes little to no difference in terms of body weight, how carbs and fat calories are distributed provided protein and overall calorie standards are met. I choose which macronutrient to prioritize based on the type and duration of workout I have that day. If I’m going hard that day, I will over-index on the carbs. It comes down to preference, really. The main point is that I hit my daily protein and overall calorie goal.

My main carbohydrate sources are sprouted whole grain bread, potatoes, sweet potatoes, quinoa, high protein pasta, all manner of veggies and mushrooms, fruit (usually frozen in smoothies). Occasionally I’ll have some brown rice. Additionally I have a couple servings of sauerkraut daily.15 Fermented foods are great for the gut biome.

The fat sources I choose are primarily nuts16, olive oil, butter, avocado oil, and cheese. I also take an algae Omega 3 supplement, which I’ll get into in a bit.

Supplements

This topic is a bit tricky. I am especially reluctant to get into this, so before I do, note: no one needs to take supplements. Furthermore, when choosing supplements, make sure there’s a reason for any particular choice. Ask yourself why you want to use a supplement. Don’t ask yourself, “Why not?” They’re too expensive and too unpredictable to use willy-nilly. Most supplements are BS. Here’s what I use daily and why.

Creatine Monohydrate- Promotes a robust phosphocreatine environment in the muscle for ATP (energy) production for muscle development and growth. It also promotes cognitive function. Next to caffeine, creatine is the most studied supplement of the last 30 years.17 It works.
Caffeine- Unless you’re living under a rock, you obviously know about caffeine. I drink 2 cups of coffee a day and occasionally have a bonus shot of espresso at work. I use caffeine for the usual reasons. It’s awesome. Too much is, well, too much. But within reason, it’s a great stimulant with very little downside when used appropriately. Caffeine is also thermogenic. It works best if you don’t use it every day. But, alas, that’s not something I’m willing to do.
NMN- Nicotinamide mononucleotide- This supplement is the only one I use that’s not proven. I almost don’t even want to talk about it because it goes against my approach to supplementation. I am so intrigued and compelled by the concept of it though. Here’s what it’s purported to do: NMN is a precursor to NAD+ (Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). When taken orally, NMN gets converted to NAD+ which is a compound that supports metabolic function, DNA repair, and living cell robustness. NAD+ levels decrease as we age. NMN increases NAD+ levels.18 Among the longevity community, it’s pretty popular.
Ashwagandha- Ashwagandha falls under the adaptogen19 umbrella. I use it to aid in recovery from workouts and to help limit and reduce stress. It’s also purported to increase or maintain testosterone levels.
Rhodiola-Rosea- Also an adaptogen, rhodiola-rosea has some overlap with ashwagandha. Known for its use for stress and anxiety reduction, it also staves off fatigue, acute and chronic. It boosts mood as well as mental and physical performance. But wait! There’s more: it’s a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.
Vitamins D20 and K- Vitamins D3 and K2 work synergistically to support bone and cardiovascular health. D3 aids in calcium absorption and K2 ensures calcium is directed to bones, preventing its deposition in arteries.
Zinc- I use zinc purely for its positive effect on the immune system.
Whey Protein- See above.
Algal Omega 3- Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA and EPA, offer numerous health benefits, including supporting heart, brain, and eye health, reducing inflammation, and potentially aiding in mental health. Omega 3s are where it’s at.

Training

I try to do something every day. The specific routine varies depending on what my goals are for a given period. I come from an endurance sport background. Occasionally I’ll get a wild hair and do a ton of run training (running is my true love) and get in shape to do some racing. Other times I’ll go heavy with the strength training. Sometimes I’ll focus on more of a hybrid style wherein I’ll combine high intensity strength training and cardio. For the purpose of this article, I’ll give the lowdown on what I’m doing these days.

Strength Train 4 days/week

Tuesday: 45min-1hr. Push or Pull.
Wednesday: 45min-1hr. Push or Pull (whichever one I didn’t do on Tuesday)
Thursday: 45 min-1.5 hr. Deadlift/Power/Legs. I’ll often do an intense Kettlebell program on Thursday. Thursdays are my favorite.
Saturday: 45 min-1.5hr. Full body strength/power.

Run 3 days/week= 18-20 miles total21.

Monday: ~6 miles. Usually my intensity/interval day
Wednesday: ~6 miles. Usually easy or medium.
Friday: ~6 miles. Very easy.

Walk22 2-3 days/week

Tuesday: Typically 1hr 20min-1.5hrs. Or I walk to work.
Saturday: Walk to the gym.
Sunday: Walk for 2 or so hours. Lately I’ve gotten into weighted walking, or rucking. That’s still pretty new to me. I use a weight vest that has removable weight bars so I can modulate how heavy my ‘pack’ is. I think I love rucking. We’ll see. Stay tuned…

I do some mobility and stability training every day- either at work between clients or on my strength training days. My step goal is 10,000 per day. I accumulate about 8-11.5 hours per week of physical activity.

So there you have it- One 51 year old’s, health, fitness, and nutrition purveyor’s, wellness regimen. Feel free to ask me questions if you have any. I love this stuff.

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