From Carlos Gracie to Abilio Diniz, our tips on aging, health and BJJ

Abilio Diniz is a sports aficionado.

To entrepreneur Abilio Diniz, 81, “aging is a certainty; aging with quality is a choice” — a project that demands strategy and discipline in order for the person not to get screwed in later years. In an interview with Cláudia Collucci of newspaper Folha de São Paulo, Diniz said that by 29 he was a successful guy, but still a stressed-out one for no reason. That was when he realized that there is no quality of life without physical exercise, good nutrition, good nights of sleep, goals to strive for and a happy mind.

“I have six pillars that I rest on: physical activity, nutrition, self-knowledge, stress control, spirituality and love,” he explained before adding: “For longevity with quality, it’s fundamental to do strengthening exercises, especially of the leg muscles.”

That’s right, reader — hang on to that closed guard, because you’ll be needing those leg muscles in a few decades.

In the following paragraphs, we list eight tips to help you add years without subtracting power or will to live.

* “The mouth is a human being’s first weapon. Eating wrong is the worst poison of all.” — Carlos Gracie (1902–1994)

* “There’s something called sarcopenia, which is the death of the cells that make up the muscles. That is as certain as death and taxes. Therefore, it’s vital that we find an exercise that motivates and recreates us. I take a walk, run on the treadmill or, if I’m in some pain, take a swim. I play squash twice a week and I box once a week. It’s not enough to have strong bones and muscles; it’s necessary to have a neural system capable of activating them swiftly.” — Abilio Diniz

* “Quality of life is doing the same activities at 60 that you enjoyed doing at 30.” — Alvaro Romano, creator of Ginástica Natural

* “Don’t abandon BJJ when the pain comes, for it is in your old age that training will be more useful against bad physical shape, addictions and depression. Don’t be afraid to get hurt; look for an academy with more drills and reps, and fewer hard rolls with younger students.” — Sergio Malibu, coral-belt

* “Don’t wait to stuff yourself when your hunger becomes overwhelming. Eat something between meals — a banana, for example.” — Abilio Diniz

* “Disease is your body protesting; if a person responds promptly, they can free themselves.” — Carlos Gracie

* “The biggest secret is to not get stressed out for being unable to achieve your goals in 15 minutes. Plan ahead and patiently pursue your objectives. It took me a long, long time to understand this. The question, deep down, is liking yourself. It’s looking in the mirror and saying, ‘I like this guy; I’m gonna do what’s best for him.'” — Abilio Diniz

* “It’s useless to fight against the passage of time. Our body realizes the limitations of age and tells us what it’s able or unable to do. It’s up to the person to have the sensibility to assimilate these messages. The important thing is to not stop, to never submit to a static, immobile existence. That, only in death.” — Carlos Gracie Jr.