Making the Golden Years Golden
Making the Golden Years Golden
A good friend used to tell me that his Doctor had been advising him for some time to get in better shape; “you’ll live longer” says the Doc. “Now why would I want to do that?” my friend, a Pastor, Todd, used to say with a grin. But what about quality of life? I’d ask Todd. When we’re in better physical shape as we age, we do it much more gracefully: feeling, looking, and acting ten years or so younger than our actual age.
Much research has shown that physically fit people become ill less, and live longer, more productive, healthier lives, even as they traverse the “Golden Years”. A recent, innovative, study followed men and women for almost 40 years and compared their health at mid-life to their reported well-being much later. The findings were “The men and women who’d been the least fit in their 40s and 50s developed the most chronic conditions early in the aging process, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, COPD, kidney disease, and lung or colon cancer”.
So, if you’re in your mid-life or later, and still procrastinating about taking charge of your fitness, now’s the time to take action. Because your health now can determine your health as you enter your later years.
In reference to the study, the New York Times wrote: For “The adults who’d been the most fit in their 40s and 50s… maladies appeared significantly later in life than for the less fit. Typically, the most aerobically fit people lived with chronic illnesses in the final five years of their lives, instead of the final 10, 15 or even 20 years”. And, “while those in the fittest group did tend to live longer than the least fit, perhaps more important was the fact that they were even more likely to report living well during more of their older years.”
I watched my Dad go downhill for years. His whole life he’d been “morally” opposed to exercise. After Mom died, Dad’s activity level decreased even further. Of course, I tried to talk to him, but you know how that goes. He had a couple of falls and battled pneumonia. And then his heart attack. At 78, this once strong Marine didn’t have the physical strength even to bathe. He was frail, weak, and seemed to be “down for the count”.
At the insistence of my brother and I, Dad begrudgingly accepted some physical therapy. He became stronger and more functional for everyday activities within just a few weeks. So my brother and Dad’s therapist talked him into enrolling in a fitness program when he was released from PT. He began going regularly, doing light cardiovascular exercise, and even lifting weights! His strength, stamina, and his mood continued to improve. He started visiting and ministering to people in nursing homes again as he’d done before the heart attack. The old Leatherneck was back!
According to this latest research, Dad is an anomaly. The longer you put off getting fit, the less likely you are to take action; and the more likely you will live with disease as a much longer part of your later years. As the Times implied from the study, if you get fit now, wherever you are in the aging process, you can expect your later years to be much more golden! So don’t put it off any longer, no matter your age. Get some help putting together an effective fitness program, and get started!
Whether you are a peak athlete, weekend warrior, Mom or Dad on the go, or a retiree, don’t forget I’m always available for free consultations to help you create a personalized fitness plan to get you the desired results! No charge and no obligation! Call or text me: at 410-598-4074.