What If Your Health Isn't Competing With Your Career?

Chris Deavin
6 days ago
4 min read

Looking for ways to stay healthy, fit and strong after 50 in Reigate? Discover why your health may be the foundation of your success, not something that competes with it. Learn how exercise, strength training, nutrition, sleep and recovery can improve energy, resilience, productivity and long-term health while helping you continue enjoying life, work and the Surrey Hills.

Businessman multitasks at office desk, lifting a dumbbell, holding salad, on the phone, with city skyline behind.

I had a thought while out running recently.

For years, I've heard people talk about work and health as though they're competing priorities. The assumption seems to be that if you're serious about your career, there will inevitably be periods when your health has to take a back seat.

Long hours.

Important projects.

Business travel.

Family commitments.

Client meetings.

The reality is that for many people living and working around Reigate, Redhill, Dorking and the surrounding villages, life can feel permanently busy. Whether you're running a business in the town centre, commuting into London, managing a professional career, or balancing work and family responsibilities, there never seems to be a perfect time to focus on your health.

The problem is that things rarely calm down.

There's always another deadline, another challenge, another opportunity or another responsibility waiting around the corner.

The Wrong Question

Many people ask:

"How do I fit my health around my career?"

The more I think about it, the more I believe that's the wrong question.

What if your health isn't competing with your career at all? What if it's one of the reasons you're able to perform well in the first place?

When I'm training consistently, sleeping well and generally taking care of myself, I don't just feel healthier.

I think more clearly.

I have more energy.

I handle stress better.

I make better decisions.

I recover more quickly when things don't go to plan.

The work itself doesn't become easier, but my ability to handle it improves.

Lessons From The Surrey Hills

One of the things I love about living and working in Reigate is having easy access to some of the best walking and running routes in the country.

Many of my runs take me through the Surrey Hills, around Reigate Hill, Colley Hill or across local trails. These aren't just training sessions. They're often where I do some of my best thinking.

Recently, I spent five months preparing for a Backyard Ultra, with the goal of running for 24 hours.

I didn't achieve the goal.

My digestive system gave up after 15 hours.

But the most important lesson wasn't what happened on race day. It was what happened during the months leading up to it.

The early morning runs.

The strength training.

The focus on recovery.

The attention to nutrition.

The commitment to sleep.

What struck me most was how much better I felt in every other area of life while I was training consistently.

The running wasn't taking energy away from my work.

It was giving me energy for my work.

What I See In My Reigate Clients

I see the same thing happen with many of the people I work with here in Reigate. Most are intelligent, capable and successful.

They know exercise is important.

They know they should eat well.

They know sleep matters.

The challenge isn't knowledge. The challenge is consistency.

Initially, health often feels like another demand on an already busy schedule. Another thing they need to find time for. But over time, something changes.

As they become more consistent with strength training, walking, nutrition and recovery, they often report:

More energy throughout the day
Better sleep
Reduced stress
Improved confidence
Greater physical capability
Better focus at work

Gradually, they stop seeing health as something separate from performance. Instead, they begin to recognise it as one of the foundations of performance.

Health Habits Or Capability Habits?

As I've got older, I've started thinking about exercise differently.

I no longer see it primarily as fitness. I see it as maintaining capability.

The ability to walk the hills around Reigate without struggling.

The ability to carry shopping without pain.

The ability to travel, play sport, enjoy holidays and remain independent.

The ability to keep doing the things you enjoy for decades to come.

That's why strength training is such an important part of what I teach at Reigate Over 50 & Strong.

It's not about looking younger. It's about remaining capable.

The Most Successful People Don't Obsess About Health

Something else I've noticed over the years is that the healthiest people I know rarely obsess about health.

They don't spend hours reading about the latest diet. They don't chase every new fitness trend.

They've simply made looking after themselves part of how they operate.

Just like managing their finances.

Planning their work.

Running their business.

Leading their team.

Health becomes part of their identity rather than another item on their to-do list.

A Different Way To Think About Health After 50

Perhaps the goal isn't to fit health around your career. Perhaps the goal is to recognise that your health supports your career.

It supports your energy.

Your resilience.

Your productivity.

Your ability to continue doing meaningful work. And your ability to enjoy everything else life has to offer.

The older I get, the more convinced I become that exercise, nutrition, sleep and recovery aren't really health habits at all.

They're capability habits.

They're the things that allow us to continue showing up as the person we want to be.

Ready To Stay Strong, Fit And Capable After 50?

If you're over 50 and live in Reigate, Redhill, Dorking or the surrounding area, and you'd like help building a personalised plan for your health, fitness and strength, I'd be happy to help.

At Reigate Over 50 & Strong, I work with busy professionals who want to improve their health, increase their strength, lose weight, boost their energy and remain physically capable for years to come.

Book a free Discovery Call and we'll discuss: