“You got to listen to your body” - Liam Harrison reveals how he stays in tremendous physical shape while nearing his 40s

Youth is about heart - you can push through almost any hurdle life throws at you if you want it enough. But as you grow older, the body demands a little more respect.

After more than two decades of wars in the ring, Liam Harrison has learned this lesson better than most. Over the years, he has had to reassess how he trains, recovers, and stays ready for battle.

Opening a Reddit AMA (ask me anything) as he prepares for his ONE 173 appearance in August, he answered a question from user ReadAll114.

Q: What are some of the most important changes you've made in your training as you prepare to enter your 40s?

Liam Harrison: You got to listen to your body. I do a lot of movements for my hips and shoulders. I have to hit the sauna and ice baths much regularly now and lots of stretching too!

While the spirit still wants to go full throttle every day, experience has taught Harrison that longevity isn't about going harder, but going smarter.

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“It can’t be good for him” - Liam Harrison advises Japanese icon Takeru Segawa to tone it down during his sparring sessions

With that lesson in mind, some fighters' fight camps leave him shaking his head. Speaking on the incredibly brutal sparring sessions that Japanese striking icon Takeru Segawa is known for, Liam Harrison didn't hold back on sharing his thoughts:

"If he is thinking about retiring, bit of an easier fight, let him say goodbye that way," he said. "But if he is going to stick around, I think he has to stop these f***ing crazy sparring sessions and stop taking all this brain trauma because it can’t be good for him."

The lesson here is simple: toughness is simple, but only if you're healthy enough to keep using it. Harrison has learned when to push, but just as importantly, also when to pull back.