Mornings. The only way to go.

I get up early—frequently so. Even on holiday, I take my bands and my ab wheel with me to do my push-ups, skipping, and burpees.

Morning Workouts.

My take on it: there are no distractions. The first few minutes you can dawdle, but then the process takes over and helps me get through.

1. I set a timer on my phone.
2. I write down several groups of numbers and exercise names in my notes app and mark each exercise off.

I make a habit of breathing through to complete my sets. It feels like i am getting in touch with myself. I do sprints and really push myself. Sometimes, I put affirmations on.

When I am done, I am doused in sweat. Apparently for every hour you train, you buy yourself three hours of additional life (depending on which report you read, some indicate it could be seven). Whatever the case, all I know is when I crawl back into bed with my lady, I feel so incredibly ecstatic—both from the unwinding after exertion and the chemicals the body produces after exercise and the proximity of being with my soul partner. I feel like I’m hovering above the bed in another world.

Nothing ever came close to this high. I’m as addicted at 58 as I was as a 23-year-old. What do I believe? Well, I believe that as a man who has trained for 35 years, completed 18 half marathons, and finished three marathons, when I hit those 21 steps to heaven in my final moments, I will have gained all the delight afforded by the simple, worthwhile pursuit of exercise. Our bodies are a gift from the universe, and what we decide to do with them is our gift back. Choose wisely—you only get one life, but if you live it right, that’s all you need.