Congratulations! You’re a day older! So am I, and that’s worth celebrating. The alternative is not so great.
Year by year, we add another number to our age. But does it mean that we’ve peaked and are now on the decline? Not necessarily.
In our culture, we think of decaying bodies after age 40 or so, as normal. We expect to have broken bones, disease onset, and other illnesses popping up with increasing frequency. “That’s just a normal part of aging,” we tell ourselves and each other.
But is it? How you choose to approach life’s second half will in large part determine the quality of your life. Aging is inevitable, but how you do it is, in large part, up to you.
I’m reading the book, Younger Next Year for Women: Live Strong, Fit and Sexy – Until You’re 80 and Beyond. Certainly an intriguing title. It’s hard for me to picture myself being sexy at 80, but hey, I’m game.
The authors maintain that one of the most important factors is exercise. I’ve done a few posts on exercise. You can check them out here (“Fit and Happy Grannies”), here (“What’s in a Handstand?”), here (“30 Minutes Per Day”), here (“Exercise: You’ll Be Glad You Did”), and here (“At-Home Workout – No Equipment Required”).
But exercise isn’t the only thing to keep us younger longer. Here are a few others to put in your toolbelt:
- Mindset. Well, wouldn’t you know it, I’ve written a few blogs about this, too (here and here). How you think about aging has a lot to do with how you actually age.
- Connection. Relationships with others as we age are important, be they with a spouse, children, siblings, neighbors, church, community or pets.
- Nutrition. Of course, if we’re eating poorly, we’re not gonna live as long.
- Sleep. Undervalued in our Western culture (I’m guilty), lack of quality sleep can lower our immune system, which, well, is bad for our health and well being.
- Cause. We all need a purpose bigger than ourselves that will help propel us forward and add life to our days, and days to our life.
- Commitment. This is a willingness to do things different than the status quo when it comes to aging.
Let’s look forward to life’s second half with enthusiasm and excitement for what’s ahead. Sexy at 80, here we come!
What about you?
Are you looking forward to more great years in your future?