We cannot expect to age with grace if we neglect our body and brain.
Do not ignore your body and brain if you want them to keep serving you.
We often hear about the importance of staying fit and healthy in our later years. Yes, it’s essential if we want to be vital and mobile, and mentally sound.
Having a sharp mind is as essential as having a fit body.
What are you doing to be physically strong and mentally hearty?
For everyone, moving every day is paramount.
I hike the desert hills, play pickleball (my new passion), or walk in my neighborhood. I do this six days a week. It’s non-negotiable.
I’ve also added weight training to my regimen. I don’t love it, but I know it is critical not only for powerful muscles but for our bones, as well. I’ve also learned that weight training helps us maintain balance as we age. By “age,” I mean regardless of your years — you are aging if you are breathing.
Weight lifting also helps protect us from taking a spill. I work out with dumbells two to three days a week.
When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, rt cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless and intelligence cannot be applied. — Herophilus, Alexandrian physician, known as the Father of Anatomy.
What are you putting into your body? Lots of greens and colorful veggies and fresh fruit, I hope. Plus, protein is vital for strength — not too much. If you’re able, grass-fed meats are the healthiest.
Eggs, nuts, and seeds are other good sources of protein.
Ditch the white carbs — they turn to sugar in the body, and we don’t need that. This transition to sugar creates inflammation in our bodies. It has been well documented that chronic inflammation is a cause of diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, and stroke. Scary.
Also, plenty of water is vital. The recommended amounts vary as quickly as the weather.
Minimum water consumption is 8–8 ounces glasses a day — which is about a half gallon. Other sources suggest a whole gallon. That’s a lot of water, but usually, it is my goal, though I often fall short of it.
Keep a bottle of water with you at all times and sip throughout your day.
Then there’s the mind. I love to read, thank goodness, and I usually have about four books going at once; a fiction, a spiritual book, an art text, and a book or website supporting and motivating my health intentions.
From what I’ve learned through the abundant research available, one of the best ways to stave off signs of aging physically and mentally is to incorporate hand-eye coordination in a sport. Pickleball fills the bill for me.
Also, learning a new language or musical instrument is a great way to use the ole noggin.
Most of us know that challenging ourselves with puzzles — crossword or jigsaw, Sudoku, and others helps create new neural pathways in the brain — fending off cognitive decline.
For me, writing my weekly blog is fun and challenging, as is writing for Medium.
Writing is not something that comes naturally to me, and I believe that, too, will carve out new neural pathways that will help delay the brain’s aging.
I’d be remiss if I did not mention the spiritual aspect that also aids in keeping us young. Meditation and yoga help reduce stress, increase serotonin levels in the brain, and decrease cortisol, the stress hormone.
It is not necessary to attend organized religious services if that is not your desire — being grateful for all we have and saying thank you is spiritual.
And of course, there is sleep, beautiful, deep, luxurious sleep. I have read that we need less as we age. I have not found this to be true as of yet. I still love 7–8 hours nightly, and since I have not been indulging in alcohol, my sleep is deeper, sounder, and more restful than ever.
And finally, having a community where we feel heard and understood is paramount. Friends are invaluable at all ages. Research has proven it is even more crucial later in life.
Call your friends and make a date for lunch, a movie, or a walk. It’ll do all of you a world of good.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a habit. — Will Durant, American writer, historian, and philosopher.
The takeaway to feeling young is — exercise the body and brain, slow down with meditation or yoga. Remember to drink your water, indulge nightly in plenty of sleep, and see your friends!
No comments:
Post a Comment