If You Treated Yourself Like Your Car: A Wake-Up Call for Men Over 40
- simonjones522
- Jun 30
- 3 min read
Over the past three years, I’ve changed my lifestyle dramatically. I’ve got fit—really fit. I gave up drinking - not had a drop for 3 yrs...I’m under a lot less stress. And I’m a lot happier.
It was a conscious decision to take control of my health and quality of life. I started reading, listening, and learning about longevity. Not just living longer, but living better for longer. How to keep your body and mind sharp, reduce your risk of disease, and be present and powerful in the second half of life.
Much of what I’ve learned is centred around risk reduction: knowing what the risks are and putting a plan in place to do something about them before they show up. Like a lot of men, I waited too long. I'm 55 now. So this is what I’d say to my 40-year-old self—or to any man in his early 40s:
Don’t wait until something goes wrong. Start your maintenance plan now.
We service our cars like clockwork—oil, tyres, diagnostics, you name it. But what about the only vehicle you really can’t replace?
1. Annual Full-Service Check (Health Screen)
What you'd do for your car: Run full diagnostics to keep everything running smoothly.What you should do for yourself:
Blood tests (lipids, liver, kidney, glucose)
Blood pressure
Heart health screening (like a CT calcium score if you're at risk)
Skin and prostate checks
Mental health check-in
The aim isn’t to find something wrong—it’s to stay in front of it. Prevention is a superpower.
2. Tyre Pressure and Alignment (Posture and Mobility)
What you'd do for your car: Avoid uneven wear, keep handling sharp.What you should do for yourself:
Fix your posture (your desk job is wrecking it)
See a physio or get a mobility screen
Build strength and flexibility with resistance training
Don’t let years of sitting and ignoring niggles become chronic pain.
3. Fuel Quality (Nutrition and Hydration)
What you'd do for your car: Fill it with high-quality fuel for top performance.What you should do for yourself:
Eat whole, minimally processed foods
Limit alcohol (ideally remove!)
Centre you meals are protein and fibre rich foods, then add carbs
Stay hydrated daily
Your fuel affects your focus, recovery, and long-term health. Quality matters.
4. Regular Driving, Not Just Sunday Spins (Strength & Cardio)
What you'd do for your car: Drive it often to keep the engine smooth.What you should do for yourself:
Train consistently—strength and cardio
Little and often is much better than crashing the weekend with huge workouts
Walk more, sit less, move daily
Park your body too long and it rusts—literally.
5. Warning Lights Aren’t Optional (Pay Attention to Signs)
What you'd do for your car: Respond immediately when something flashes up.What you should do for yourself:
Don’t dismiss fatigue, irritability, poor sleep
Gut issues, mood changes, low energy—act on them
If something feels off, get it checked
Know what the key symtoms are for major issues (e.g. heart, prostate)
Ignoring symptoms doesn’t make you strong. It makes you vulnerable.
6. Service Logbook (Track Your Numbers)
What you'd do for your car: Keep a record of every service and adjustment.What you should do for yourself:
Log your training, sleep, HRV, and weight
Know your health data and how it’s trending
Review and adjust every few months
Progress only happens when you track what matters.
Final Thought
You wouldn’t drive a high-performance car into the ground without servicing it. So why do that to your body?
I’m 55 now. I’ve had the CT scans, done the bloodwork, felt the shift. I’ve realised that knowing your risks doesn’t make you weak—it gives you choices. And power. You can’t fix what you don’t know.
To any man in their 40s: don’t wait. Start your plan now.
Want support designing a performance health plan that works for real life? That’s what we do at www.mybestseason.net—for men who want structure, coaching, and lasting change.
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