Can I Get Fit At 40? | Dan’s Journey Back to Health and Fitness (Pt. 1)

As a former pro cyclist, over the last decade Dan traded out his healthy habits and athletic lifestyle for a more inactive one. Now, he's at a point where he wants to turn things around! He's wondering how simple exercise, eating right, sleeping better, and making small lifestyle changes can impact his lifespan and healthspan.

Over the next six months, Dan will be on a journey to find out!

Welcome! 0:00
Dan's new goal 0:08
Dan’s health history 1:50
How this might apply to YOU 2:55
The testing centre: Nuffield Health Manchester 4:17
Thank you to our sponsor!: Whoop 6:09
Body measurements 7:45
Fitness tests 8:59
VO2 Max test 12:29
VO2 Max results 16:36
Where Dan's at physiologically 17:46
Why now? 18:45

Useful Links:

Have you been thinking of making any changes to your lifestyle and fitness routine? 🫀

Let us know in the comments! 💬

Watch more on GCN...

🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵
Deny - dreem
For Motivation (Instrumental Version) - CLNGR
Hip Hop Rock Song - Def Lev
Marinate (Sped Up Version) (Instrumental Version) - Zorro
Midnight - STRLGHT
Premonition - Paeta
Spacetime - STRLGHT
The Demon in Your Eyes - Rascal Genius
TO THE MOON (Instrumental Version) - Adelyn Paik
Camera Shutter Click - SFX Producer

#gcn #cycling #roadcycling #roadbike #bike #bikes #bikelife #health #fitness #longevity #healhtylifestyle #challenge #whoop

📸 Photos - © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sirotti Images

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[gcn]

What are you doing to help you stay fit, healthy and active as you get older, and do you have any advice for Dan? 🤔

[BennyOcean]

Unusually personal video here but this kind of thing will be very helpful to some of your viewers and I'm sure they appreciate your candor as I do. Cheers Dan.

[leomaduro]

Excellent idea, your experiment. I am a 74 years old cyclist who never was a high class athlete but never stopped exercising, which helped to overcome the serious hereditary cardiac problems my entire family is suffering. In spite of my healthy life style, I still had four stents placed around my heart since 2015 and fighting off the first signs of diabetes, the other disease that terrorizes my family. I don't compete anymore, did that until age 62 but still maintain somewhere between 12, 000 and 15, 000 km each year. I quit smoking and drinking about 50 years ago and will just follow the advice of my cardiologist: "Don't dare to quit that bicycle..." Good luck with your experiment, it will be worth all the effort.

[sheetalshah]

Wishing you every success Dan from a 59 year old who smoked and drank heavily, ate all the wrong things and never bothered with exercise. Over the years I gave up smoking, moderated my alcohol intake and much to my own surprise became a vegan. It didn’t happen over night but feeling better about myself keeps me going. Took up cycling during lockdown and GCN has been a great source of education and motivation. Hope the support you get from viewers and fans helps you. All the best fella 👍🏼

[davenet]

I turn 30 next week, after starting new job last year I relapsed with alcohol bad after 5 years sober. This past year has been a spiral buy I want to start my 30s with a clean slate and directionly good mindset. I'm with you Dan.

[bleskiven]

This may very well be the most important video series GCN has ever started.

Longevity is so important

[nikolikoopz]

I'm on this journey with you I'm 60 . Just had a heart transplant 2 yrs back after 20 years of heart failure. On my bike now and a rowing machine to get my fitness back. 💪

[BreakawayB]

Best GCN video of the past 12 months. I love how genuine it is. ❤

[HNXMedia]

Didn't even start running until 38. By 43 was in best shape of my entire life. At 51 - still keeping it going. Never too late.

[thomasdavis]

So glad you’re doing this series. At 63 I’m on the same journey, not to live longer, but to live well as I age.

[kostaspapazoglou]

As the most eloquent, circumspect and self-deprecating presenter, you've chosen a subject that has the potential to awaken, influence and improve many people's lives! Persevere with the journey, knowing that many others already are or will embark on their own journey.
Cheers from Melbourne.

[richardacerra]

Spot on! I'm 73, and I just completed a 100 Grand Fondo in Florida. Regular resistance training with progressive overload, good diet, good sleep, and lots of Zone 2 Cycling. I know I won't able to ride100 miles when I am 83 but maybe 50 and when I am 93 I hope to be fit enough to get around a bit and take a nice walk, not end up in a rest home bedridden.

[gabrielmunoz]

"I'm not as fit as I used to be and I feel the need to do something about it". What an empowered statement. Dan, I'm with you and I can't wait to see how you get on. Excited for you to get on track. Thank you for sharing!

[augustomet]

I like how the channel is evolving as the presenters grow in every way.. for each of them you can follow their evolution and enjoy their current path

[capflamme]

I'm also 43 yo. I never was a professional athlete, not even doing amateur competitions, but I was training a lot, mostly rowing and had a good fitness. Then, I almost completely stopped for 7 years and my VO2max felt down to low 50s in 2019, like you.
At that point, I decided to make a change and started cycling. 5 years later, I'm in the best shape of my life and my VO2max is around 65, currently.
So, as an ex-professional athlete and with all the support you can get from health professionals, I'm sure you can do much better than me.
Enjoy this journey to a more healthy life! 👍💪

[SBoots]

Bravo Dan. When I was 52 I was diagnosed with Mini core Disorder. Its a muscle condition that makes it hard to move. For 5 years I pissed and moaned about it. I was 235 pounds at 57, could not tie my shoes. Time to change. Started small and worked up. Now, I run Triathlons, workout regularly, changed my lifestyle. Am I a monk? Nope, but I have addressed not feeling like crap. Mine is a story of small changes that have inspired many because now I am 65. Even my doctor has changed his lifestyle. LOL. Good luck Dan and anybody else on thin journey. It's fantastic.

[DickSpencer]

Congratulations Dan, I'm very excited to join your journey. I'll be 70 this month and I started my journey at Like you said, better late than never.
I started by "peddling" knowing full well of my physical state and wasn't about to fool/lie to myself. I'm past the "Toughen up and muscle and pain through it" stage of life. I just wanted to get healthier. That was the only goal.
Now 5 years later I'm riding 15 to 20 miles a day. Zone 2 mostly sometimes with some zone three to fours and thresholds.
Personal goals alone. I don't ride with other people. I don't compete with other people. I'm just trying to stay healthy and it's working.
So more power to you. Gcn has a lot of people like me I know and it's about time. This channel started addressing middle-aged and older people instead of always talking about these young guys pumping out 10, 000 watts and trying to race to the top of Mount Everest.
Good luck on your adventure and I'll be right there with you watching. Good luck!

[EverythingIsPhotogenic]

Don't underestimate the power of these personal/vulnerable videos as people get fatigued of listicles and strictly informational content. Kudos to Dan for his openness to this experiment to be shared with a large audience. People need to see the potential "dark side" of endurance sport and the things people feel too ashamed to talk about.

Looking forward to more of this! ❤

[thombatty]

This is exactly what I need. In 2013 I raced Tour Divide. Since then I have moved to a rural community and opened my own bike shop, focused on making that work and lost a lot of fitness. Then October of last year, two weeks before my 60th birthday I had a stroke. I'm working to get my fitness back while keeping the shop open, I can see this series being a major asset. Many thanks!

[jimdubois]

Best video GCN has ever put out! Dan thank You for being so vulnerable and honest. Because if we’re all vulnerable and honest we all identify with you. I’ll will most certainly be following!