How often do you here people say “It sucks to get old!” ? I hear it all the time from people my age and even younger. Let’s face it we’re not 20 anymore, but it’s better than the alternative. Am I right?  My dad once said “If I knew I was going to live this long I would’ve taken better care of myself.” Huh. Makes sense to me. I would say it’s never too late but sometimes it is. Don’t let that be you! 

Okay, so maybe most of us aren’t the first lady in the picture above and never will be, but we don’t have to be the other woman either. 

I often see people who seem to accept their decline in health as a natural part of aging. So many times when I ask a patient if they have any medical problems they say “Well I’m 40, so the usual things.” What does that even mean? I had a woman the other day look at me like I was crazy for asking if she takes any medications on a regular basis,  and said “I’m 73! Of course I take medications. I have a whole list!” But then I’ll get a patient who is 93, has no medical problems and is living independently. Why? Is it lifestyle? Genetics? Just plain luck? A combination of all 3? Who really knows.

Of course it is expected to see the unhealthiest of people in the ED (emergency department) but when you see 40 and 50 year old’s ALL DAY LONG with diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol (and they think that that is normal for their age) it gets kind of disheartening. Getting old doesn’t have to suck! Why do some people let it?

What is “old”?

Old means something different for everyone. For some it’s turning 40, but for others it’s 90. I had a 94 year old patient say “Everything was fine  until I turned 90. Then it was all downhill.” 🙂
As a normal part of aging our hair thins and skin loses elasticity, we lose muscle mass and stamina. Our vision and hearing decline. Yada, yada, yada. I’m not going to go into the physiology for these changes because let’s be real, it’s depressing, and that’s not the focus of this post. The focus is on how getting “old” doesn’t have to suck. It doesn’t. What can you do to make aging less sucky you ask? Glad you asked!

Stay active! Mind, body and soul.

Grow “old” gracefully by focusing on these 3 areas:

1. Body. Obviously this is my number one. I am a firm believer in the “move it or lose it” theory. I don’t expect everyone to become a runner (but I think they should 😉 ) . I do expect everyone to get up off the couch and move. Take care of your body. Go for a walk, ride a bike, hike, take a yoga class. Anything, just move people! “They” say sitting is the new smoking. Netflix will be the death of us. 🙂 
2. Mind. Learn something new, read, do puzzles. Keep your brain engaged. I have a friend who started taking piano lessons in her 50’s. It’s never too late to learn something new.
3. Soul. Spend time with friends and family. It is good for the soul (and the mind). It’s been proven that people who stay active socially are less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Make a lunch date with a friend, or better yet, get together for a walk in the park. Do things that make you happy.

There are so many things we can do to live the best life we can live. What do you do to grow old gracefully?

Thanks for reading!

Keep running!

              Denise