Growing older is a fact of life, but the steep decline in the quality of life doesn’t have to be part of the aging process. In my forties I began to notice differences in how my body would respond to challenges and not in a good way. Soreness that would last for days became commonplace. Being more tired or tired all the time became the norm rather than the unexpected. Knees, hands and elbows ached for no reason. I seemed to get sick more often and the symptoms would be more severe and last longer than when I was younger. These types of changes continued and I knew that getting older was part of the reason and lifestyle also contributed. So I made changes. I cut back on processed food although I found it nearly impossible to eliminate them completely. I always did some form of exercise but without much thought or end game in mind. I enjoyed lifting weights and it was my main form of social activity. I would go to the gym do some lifting and hang with the other gym rats. I did the lifts that I enjoyed doing and what I was good at avoiding training that was not in my wheelhouse. I changed in that I added the dreaded cardio portion and incorporated weight training that was focused on whole body functional strength. I also focused on improving my sleep. I discovered that the one thing that I could do that would guarantee I would feel better everyday was to get a good nights sleep. Sleep helped my food cravings tremendously. Being tired meant craving sweet carbs, chips or some other comfort type foods. Being tired also meant more joint pain and less motivation to exercise and just clouded my attitude making it more likely to vegetate than cultivate my life.
Getting older is a fact of life but it doesn’t mean that it has to be a painful, debilitating life. There are things you can do to raise the odds in your favor. You can take charge of your aging process and while time will win in the end you can steer the process to give yourself the best chance of smooth travel on your terms. You can raise the odds that your quality of life is improved by doing some simple things.
- Getting good sleep
- Exercising a little everyday
- Eat more plants and whole foods, avoid anything processed
- Reduce alcohol consumption.
- Have a social network, friends and family keep you connected
- Maintain a positive outlook, life is a gift unwrap it.
Getting older is a fact of life but accepting all the negative consequences that society has led us to believe accompany the aging process doesn’t have to be. Take some steps to help make those golden years truly golden.