If you’ve read some of my past articles, you might believe I’m a bit obsessed with growing older and the aging process. Well, you are sort of correct. I’m not obsessed exactly, just overly concerned.
For your reference I am 64 years old. Aging is much like owning an older model car–when you go to start the vintage auto every morning you cross your fingers the engine will turn over. Also the paint begins to fade, the original parts wear out and the value drops yearly
I guess the worst aspect for me is the fact there is nothing you can do to stop the process, except die of course. I know eat right, exercise and stay busy. I get it. I try to do all those things; however, every time I glance back, Father Time is gaining on me.
Anyway, these following 10 tips I got from an article I recently read seemed like a practical way to help me handle my fixation with aging. Hope they help you also.
- As we age, we lose muscle mass. This also causes a loss in cardiac function, so your aerobic capacity goes down as well. A routine of physical activity, especially something that increases the heart rate and works up a sweat, will help slow down the loss of muscle mass.
2. A posture change is a common symptom of age; the torso bends forward. Because we spend so much time sitting, muscles that support the upper body weaken, so we sag forward at the hips. Instead, concentrate on walking with your pelvis out and shoulders back; that will make you look and feel younger.
3. Restore range of motion. If you have to stand on tiptoe to reach something in a cupboard that used to be easier to grab, work on stretching upward to restore your ability to reach into that cupboard.
4. Keep a sense of humor. Many boomers stop laughing as they age. Continue to see the funny side of life, to enjoy a good joke or a comedy. Don’t let the years make you too serious.
5. Stay away from fast food. Do your own cooking and enjoy the taste of home cooked food. Sit down and eat your meals rather than gulping them down so you’re not just putting calories in your body. If you don’t have regular relaxed and nutritious meals, your hormonal system never gets to stabilize, so digestion becomes less than optimal.
6. Falls are one of the biggest causes of disability, as we get older. Often it’s because our balance has deteriorated. While physical activity helps maintain balance, you also can do regular balance-specific exercises, like standing on one leg, then the other; or closing your eyes and turning in a circle, trying to stop at the exact place you started.
7. Keep socializing. Being around people not only keeps your social skills sharp, it makes you better at communicating with others. Spending too much time alone, reading or watching TV, can become a habit that leads to isolation, which makes us grow older faster.
8. Stretch often. A lot of boomers don’t stretch, but it’s important for warding off a lot of issues, including muscle atrophy. Put together a 10-minute stretch routine and do it every evening before going to bed.
9. Learn something new every few months. Sign up for a community college course or research a new subject. This forces your brain to make new pathways, maintaining or even increasing your mental sharpness.
10. Don’t buy into the myth that getting older makes you useless. That belief leads to depression. Do things that make others see that age is not a barrier to competence? Run for local office. Volunteer to help out at cultural or sporting events. Be visible, so that everyone knows you’re a valuable member of your community.