AT THE END of 2024, after around 20 years in a corporate career, I was let go from the firm I’d spent the last decade at. At the time it felt like the rug being pulled out, but in hindsight it gave me something I hadn’t had in years: space.
Losing my job forced me to slow down for the first time in decades. That space made me realise I’d been outsourcing my health to ‘later’, and later had finally arrived. It felt like the end of the first act of my adult life, and if I was going to start the second, I wanted to do it deliberately.
I was also about to turn 41, and while I’m realistic that my absolute physical peak is probably behind me, I’m also very aware that I still have a lot of influence over how I feel and function in the decades ahead. I’ve heard that by 40, most people have literally already run their last mile. I didn’t want to be most people.
At the same time, I made a conscious decision to go all in on being a present, hands on father and to show up in that role as the fittest, healthiest version of myself.
I’ve always been active to some degree, but definitely not consistently. Like a lot of people, I drifted. Nothing dramatic happened, I just slowly slipped into the habits that come with long hours, young kids and social drinking. A mostly sedentary job, becoming a father and adopting the drinking culture that often comes with corporate life all added up. I was exercising, but I wasn’t really thriving.
Early in 2025, I was given the all clear to return to training after spinal surgery. That moment carried a lot of weight for me. When I got the all clear, it felt like a line had been drawn. I wasn’t being held back anymore, so if I stayed the same, that was on me. The stress of a high pressure corporate career was behind me, and physically my body was telling me it was ready. That was the moment where the excuses ran out.
My approach was intentionally simple. Most workouts started with the ErgData workout of the day, a free app from Concept2, using the bike, ski, or rower. That usually gave me 20 to 30 minutes of solid conditioning.
After that, I’d do a weights session, either focusing on a muscle group or following a push-pull-legs split. Nothing fancy, just repeatable. That mattered more than chasing the perfect program.
Nutrition was easily the hardest part of the process and, in my opinion, where the biggest gains were made. I’ve never found it particularly difficult to get myself into the gym, but I’ve always struggled to walk past a chocolate bar or say no to a plate of hot chips. Learning to sit with cravings instead of immediately fixing it changed everything for me.
Ahead of this transformation, I was fortunate to participate in the Profasta study at the Charles Perkins Centre at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital through the University of Sydney. It examined the effect of prolonged fasting on autophagy and cellular health, and it taught me how to fast safely and effectively. That became a key tool, not a rule, but something I could lean on when needed.
If I’m being completely honest, improving my appearance was part of my motivation. Living in Byron Bay, you’re surrounded by very fit, health conscious people, and I wanted to feel like I fit in.
But pretty quickly, the goals widened. Looking better was part of it, but feeling capable again mattered more. I wanted energy for my kids, confidence in my body and momentum in my life. I also realised that my sons were watching everything I do, and I wanted them to grow up seeing movement, discipline and self respect as normal, not something you talk about but never actually live.
There were definitely moments where things stalled, especially when injuries popped up or progress slowed. It wasn’t so much about wanting to quit as it was dealing with frustration. There were times when motivation dipped, but I learned that consistency doesn’t mean enthusiasm every day, sometimes it just means turning up anyway.
The past 12 months have probably been the most transformational I’ve experienced as an adult. It really drove home how closely the mind and body are connected. When one improves, the other tends to follow.
I’m calmer, more present, and more optimistic. I approach my health now as something ongoing, not something I dip in and out of when life allows. The physical changes are great, but they fade. The mindset shift sticks.
There will always be excuses, that part never goes away. The key is finding a way to move forward regardless. Don’t wait to feel ready. Start small enough that it feels almost too easy. Once you begin to feel better, sleep better, move better and think more clearly, feeling good becomes addictive. At that point, you don’t want to give it up.
