Ageless fitness: Staying active and strong at any age.

Why I Don’t Believe in Age-Limited Workouts

Ever since I started 12 Minute Athlete, I’ve received countless requests for workouts tailored specifically for people over 55. And while I understand where these requests are coming from, I’ve always hesitated to create age-specific workouts for one key reason: I don’t believe in arguing for your limitations. When you argue for your limitations, you …

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Elite athlete focusing on mental skills during training.

Five Key Mental Skills We Can All Learn from Elite Athletes

When we watch elite athletes perform, it’s easy to focus on their amazing physical skills—speed, power, agility. But what often goes unnoticed is the incredible mental fortitude these athletes possess. Their minds are finely tuned machines that help them achieve peak performance, push through pain, and stay focused under pressure. But here’s the good news: …

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Image showing a person achieving their fitness goal of a challenging core exercise

The Secret to Achieving Your Fitness Goals: Aim High and Break it Down

There’s no question that the health and fitness community is abuzz with goal setting, especially around New Year’s. Yet, a staggering 80% of people abandon their New Year’s resolutions within 30 days, and only 8% achieve them. The key issue? Many don’t know how to set and stick to attainable goals. At 12 Minute Athlete, …

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Time, Choices, and Our Pursuit of Mastery as an Adult

I was talking to a friend the other day about mastery and how different it is trying to master something as an adult compared to when we were kids. So much of it has to do with our concept of time. As kids, our sense of time is so strange. Months feel like years, and …

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Meraki jiu-jitsu

Finding Moments of Flow

mind The bell rings, and my training partner and I fist bump to start the round. We circle, both of us in a fighting stance, right foot forward, bent over slightly. I fake grabbing his collar with my left hand, only to grab it with my right immediately. I switch my left grip to the …

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krista stryker jiu-jitsu

Trying Vs. Regrets: Part Two of My First Jiu-Jitsu Competition

“Welcome to the women’s jiu-jitsu rollathon,” Pete, the owner of the MMA gym announces, instructing us to line up by the wall by rank. Six months into training, I’m still a total newbie in the sport, so I head toward the back of the line. There are about fifteen of us — more women than …

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shorten your learning curve

How to Shorten Your Learning Curve in Any Craft

  “Oof.” I let out an involuntary noise as my opponent, a nameless guy at least fifty pounds heavier than me, slams my legs down, baseball slides his hips to the opposite side, and pins me to the mat. The last of the air in my chest releases as he does so. Since starting jiu-jitsu …

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