December 30, 2025 • Stew smith De-Stress, Sleep Better, Eat Less, Drink More Water, Low Intensity Cardio & Mobility Days Finding Time to Relax This is my focus for the New Year! After several weeks (from Thanksgiving to New Year), I am burned out. I know I'm not the only one who is tired from late nights, too much food, end-of-year work and school-year stress, social events, family gatherings, busy travel, (maybe illness?), and just a hectic several weeks. The loss of our family dog did not help things either. Here is why I am recommending this: the key to both longevity and optimal performance (young or old) is mastery of recovery.  So, here is my plan - actively pursue recovery for a few weeks: De-Stress: Breathe, walk, stretch, get off the phone and computer, and relax. This is needed as I can feel it affecting other areas of my life (workouts, mood, sleep, etc.). Before chasing a new fitness or work goal, I need to be fully recovered first. So, I am calling a time-out and doing a few things, like organizing my office, decluttering my work and living areas, and being intentional with my breathing, napping, and resting. Here is what happens when you do not learn how to de-stress: Stress and the Body Infographic from Heart Math Sleep Better: This is by far the most critical piece of the puzzle as good sleep means you recover from stress (all stress - physical, mental, emotional, mood, etc). No fitness goal will work without good sleep, so make this the cornerstone of new habits you create - going to bed earlier (set alarm for 1 hour before bedtime), no bedtime phone scrolling (read a book/magazine instead), keep bedroom cool/dark/quiet, practice bedtime breathing, and gratitude. Try earplugs, an eye mask, and a fan to set the sleep mood if other people in the house are still active. Then, upon awaking, get morning sun on your face as soon as possible, as it will help set your circadian rhythms to sleep earlier that evening.

Hi Stew love the Skool page so easy to navigate 👍 What kind of fitness standards would you recommend for 50+ population? None of us are former military just people who want to be ready for life😅 Thank you

Fitness includes several components such as cardiovascular endurance, strength training, and mobility/flexibility. These are non-negotiables for continuing to live throughout your later years with your independence and ability to move and socialize still operating normally. Instead of just thinking about living longer, let’s use the start of a new year to focus on getting healthier, so we live better. More than any other time each year, the New Year is a popular time to focus on a “start fresh.” Temporal landmarks like New Year's Day, Mondays, birthdays, or the change of seasons are standard starting lines for many of us when we have a goal to work towards and bad habits to break. A New Focus on Fitness – Science Says Fitness Matters (Even More than Weight) A recent study published in the British Journal of Medicine, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, BMI, and Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, shows that, regardless of body weight (obese, overweight, or normal), fitness matters more for all-cause mortality. They measured weight, BMI, and fitness of six groups: normal weight – fit, normal weight – unfit, overweight-fit and overweight-unfit, and obese-fit and obese-unfit. Their findings: The analyses revealed that individuals classified as fit, regardless of their BMI, did not have a statistically significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease or all-cause mortality compared to normal weight-fit people. At the same time, all unfit groups across different BMI categories exhibited a two- to threefold higher risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality compared to their regular weight-fit counterparts. About Body Mass Index (BMI) – Now, you may be saying, but BMI is flawed! Sure. BMI is not the best indicator for distinguishing normal weight, overweight, and obesity because it is simply a height-to-weight ratio that does not account for differences in body fat/muscle composition, age, sex, or other factors. Before you discredit this entire study because of the BMI issue, remember that it measured fitness levels among people of different sizes. Some had more muscle and were considered fit in the overweight/obese group, while others were deemed unfit in the normal weight group. Still, BMI helps place people of differing sizes (height and weight groups) and focuses on measuring each group's fitness. In the end, fitness matters more than BMI, so the goal is to exercise, get in shape, build muscle, and lose fat.

After a stressful month of the Holiday Season, one of the most important things to do is hit the RECOVER button and relax and de-stress. Instead of going hardcore into January goal-setting, take a week or two to de-load, sleep better, eat better, and pull back from the hardcore. OR if you are not into training and want to be, start this week with easy walking, stretching, and the same recovery from the prior month of craziness. You will be better equipped to chase a fitness goal after some de-load, de-stress, and recovery time. That is why I am giving away my Never Quit Stretching Video. Trust me - it is more difficult than it sounds. You will find out just how badly you need to add flexibility and mobility to your life after watching this video! Enjoy - Click the Classroom link above, and you will be able to download the video. https://www.skool.com/stew-smith-tactical-fitness-1847/classroom

https://www.stewsmithfitness.com/blogs/news/tactical-fitness-training-because-your-life-buddys-life-depends-on-it