Keep on Rockin' ...
by Barbara Morris
Is it possible to hold back premature mental and physical decline? Is it possible to get to 60, 70 and beyond and feel and function like a healthy 40- or 50-year-old? Absolutely. I’m doing it and others can do it too.
Gerontologist Dr. John W. Rowe says how well you age is 70 percent lifestyle choices and 30 percent heredity, behavior, and environment. That 70 percent gives you a lot of power to control the aging process.
The process begins with loving yourself, valuing yourself, understanding and appreciating that your body is the only one you will ever have. In a spirit of gratitude do what you can to keep it in peak condition and be an asset to yourself, your family, and society. Diet, exercise and a defiant, independent “can-do” youthful attitude make a difference.
Steps to take right now:
- Develop a vision of how you want to be at a given age. Stay focused on and committed to your goal. Believe you can do it.
- Educate yourself about what constitutes an anti-aging lifestyle. It’s not too late. Bookstore shelves are loaded with nutrition and lifestyle information that will give you all the tools you need.
- Find a traditionally trained physician with expertise in anti-aging medicine and nutrition to guide your progress.
- Engage in rigorous positive mental management. (No more “I must be getting old” when you experience a momentary memory lapse.)
If possible, choose not to retire. It’s the speedway to decline. The mind and body were not designed to lie fallow. Use it or lose it.
Follow the above suggestions and your success will exceed your expectations.
If lines are invading your face and your hair is getting gray, please understand that this is not all about “looking young,” it’s about freedom, choice, and opportunity!
It’s about getting to age 60, 70 and beyond and feeling and functioning like a healthy 40 or 50-year-old. You can go back to school, start a new career or a new business. When you have your physical and mental health, you can have it all.
It’s about freedom to work, allowing a more enjoyable lifestyle. Existing on a tiny retirement check is not always fun.
It’s freedom from fear of becoming a victim of physical, emotional, or financial abuse. When you are mentally and physically strong, potential abusers will think twice about trying to take advantage of you.
It’s giving your children the greatest gift of all: freedom from the worry, “Will we have to put mom in a nursing home, or “Will she have to come live with us,” or, “Will we have to help pay her living or medical expenses?”
In the past century, the American life span has increased by 27 years. How will you enjoy your bonus years?
Productively, if you use your power to Put Old on Hold, a power long suppressed by tradition and outmoded conventional wisdom. You have the power to defy consensus-thinking and behaviors perhaps held by your immediate family or social circle, outdated thinking that says you must succumb to physical and mental deterioration as the years pass. Right now, declare your freedom from “the earth is flat” impossibility thinking and learn how to stay healthy, productive, and ageless as long as you live.