Aging is getting a bad rap lately as more people reach senior citizenship than ever, sure it can be cruel if you do not take any measures to counter the process. Certainly, there are genetics involved in how well we age. Inherited factors are something we must accept for the most part, but there are some things we can do to maintain some control over aging, simple things.
The average North American is living a longer life than ever before. Men can expect to live up to 75.2 years of age while women will get a few more miles up to age 80.4 typically. Anyone who wishes to increase that average age by twenty, thirty or more years will have to put in some effort to do so.
The most commonly disregarded factor to living longer is maintaining a positive attitude according to experts in the field of gerontology and aging. The stereotypes for aging adults become a reality unfortunately due to ageism – or age discrimination. Many seniors begin to fear aging, even deny it and because of this fear tend to behave in those ways many see today as stereotype “old People”. They fall into inactivity, suffer illness and blame age rather than taking the illness on and prevailing over it.
There are the customary anti aging recommendations like try and get more sleep, quit smoking or drinking too much. Both good ideas but overstated. Here are some suggestions that will assist you in becoming more durable, having some resiliency as you age. There are no assurances that you will make it on the centenarians list some day but if followed, these points will make the aging experience one you need not fear.
Find your purpose. This will by its very nature aid in connecting you to other folks while it reduces loneliness. This alone will chop years from your birth certificate. One eighty six year old volunteer at a senior residence thinks political activism will help keep you young.
Studies prove that people, who are more socially in the loop, meeting with friends and family, join clubs, volunteer, will usually survive longer and keep their cognitive and physical capabilities while doing so.
Exercise should become your job. To start with, understand that exercise does not have to mean running five miles a day. Anything you do that keeps you moving is fine. Just a nice brisk walk around the neighborhood is great for you. Doing this three or four times a week will give seventy percent of the benefits of an aerobic exercise.
When exercising at this stage in life it should be approached, the same way that person once approached their job. Prepared, begin the same time each and every day, maintain simplicity with your routine and see that it lasts for no less than twenty minutes each outing. If planning is required, do this the previous evening. Think of the motion involved as your joints form of nutrition and mobility must be maintained. If necessary, find ways to stay mobile like walking rather than driving, if in a mall, walk the floors and window shop at a brisk pace. When aging people lose mobility, it signals the beginning of the end.
Spread out the times that you eat. Eating six smaller meals a day rather than three big meals is a form of portion management that you will not be over eating. Eating more often but lesser quantities will increase your metabolism rate innately. When you miss meals or eat bigger meals consistently, the reverse is true and your metabolism will become sluggish.
Being overweight can lead to osteoarthritis, hypertension and even stroke, by not eating as much you will naturally be supporting longevity, literally slowing the aging process. It is not a requirement to eat a vegetarian diet but it is recommended that eating less red meat is better for you; this includes processed meats as well.
Take time out for fun. Likening this to the otter and the beaver, otters will have a good time with other otters cavorting about and generally enjoying their time together, whereas the beaver will always be working, focused on the job in front of it. As we age, we need to have an outlet for fun and be able to enjoy looking for our next adventure. It literally will keep you young. President George Bush Senior went skydiving on his eighty fifth birthday, just as he had done on his eightieth birthday, he’ll do it again as well on his ninetieth!
Maintaining your close familial bind with grand kids can have an amazing anti aging effect. It has been proven that the difference is significant in those seniors who cultivate friendships with younger people. Imparting your wisdom will be appreciated by the younger generation and you will be revitalized by the enthusiasm of the youngsters.
Work on your balance. Being concerned about possibly falling can be an indication you are about to have one. When you break your hip, you cut six years from your life span according to medical authorities. Taking part in mobility routines such as tai chi and yoga are great ways to achieve better balance as you age.
The mind and body aspect of the programs can work to enhance your stability to safeguard you against a collapse. They improve your muscle, stamina and flexibility. Traditional yogis state that it is not the flexibility of your birthday but of your spine that determines your age. In addition, we all lose muscle strength, as we get older, up to one to two percent every year. As this process happens, we silently begin to decrease our activity levels.
Yoga has been referred to as meditation in motion. Just as in our middle years when we see the first signs of stress affecting our health, meditation reduces our stress and anxiety levels and improving our immune function, cardiac health, sleep quality and physical equilibrium.
Tai chi also develops our attentiveness to us and to the rest of society. Achieving this kind of contentment means a tranquil and long, happy life. Simple steps to lead a simple and fulfilling life. We have all heard that age is a state of mind. This is a fact and as long as we remember, our important challenge is to identify the state of mind that drags us into aged oblivion and choose to replace it with a healthy outlook and physical determination.
Wed, Dec 16, 2009
Anti Aging, Lifestyle, Longevity