A question to ask yourself is, “Are you old?” First what’s your definition of “old” is, and the next question is, “What are you doing about it?” When we were kids, someone in their 40s might have seemed old, but as we get older, that definition changes. Sometimes we reach the age we once thought of as old and realize we don’t feel old at all. So, what does that mean?
In college, I did research papers on the effects of exercise on aging, which is one of the driving factors behind Balancing the Triad. We have talked before about the difference between chronological age and biological age, and how some people look older or younger than they are. I eat healthily, exercise, and lift weights, which puts me in the top percentage for my age group. If someone does resistance training twice a week, walks, eats well, and takes care of themselves, they can also be in the top percentage for their age. Many people my age and younger don’t take care of themselves, and I can run circles around them.
We take care of our cars by changing the oil, checking the tires, maintaining the brakes, and cleaning them. If we don’t do these things, the car won’t function properly or may stop working altogether. Our bodies are the same way. Some people say they don’t have time to exercise, but it’s about finding something that fits their lifestyle and starting there.
Regardless of injuries, illnesses, or wear and tear on the body, there are still many things we can do to improve our health. We need to take care of ourselves so we can be functional as we get older. Sometimes people accept their poor health and believe there’s nothing they can do about it, but that’s not true, the choices we make is the difference.
Aging is something we can’t stop, yet society tends to promote youthfulness and looking a certain way. Some people go to extremes to keep their youth, but many cultures embrace the elderly and care for their older family members. As I have learned more about aging, my view of it has changed, and I want to keep taking care of myself and staying functional. I want to do as much as I can to keep myself going.
Maria Shriver wrote an article about being pro-aging, which means embracing your age and the aging process. We shouldn’t go to extremes to maintain a youthful look, but instead, we should embrace growing old. We can exercise, take care of ourselves, eat right, and wear clothes that make us feel and look good. We can embrace our lifetime of learning and pass on our knowledge to others.
When people retire, some just sit around and do nothing, but we can find new purposes and start writing new chapters in our lives. We need to take care of our Body, Mind, & Spirit by eating right, exercising, doing resistance training, going for walks, getting plenty of rest. We can exercise our minds and find our spiritual connections. It all comes down to our choices. We can choose to let our bodies get old and decrepit, or we can choose to get older and still maintain our health and vitality through the choices we make.