GOOD day, all!
I’m very fortunate in my practice to work with seniors who are very youthful. Truth be told, I do believe they are much more youthful than I am. They’ve remained productive in their professional and personal lives, and are actively contributing to society not just with their resources but with their experience, expertise and talents.
My elderly clients are my inspiration for this series of articles on the process of aging, how it affects the body, how movement and proper nutrition help us age gracefully, how being in community allows for better aging, and how to take care of our bodies as we age.
Nobody can escape the aging process. In our younger years, aging is a sign of growing physical maturity, but as the years progress, there is a clear decline in physiological functions. Aging is a very quiet process that happens over a long period of time. Some might notice waking up stiff in the morning, some greying of the hair, and for some, it might show in the inability to recover from a night of drinking.
Aging, despite its negative connotation, is actually a life-saving process. It is a process of lifelong adaptation that prevents the development of cancers that might kill us, according to Dr. Kenneth Minaker, associate professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Natural changes in our cells slow down or alter their capacity. After most people hit their peak at the age of around 30, a steady decline begins to happen.
Not everyone though is able to age with grace. There is an old adage that nothing beats experience, and in age there is wisdom. I’m fortunate to have the chance every day to listen to the experiences and wisdom of people much older than me.
Can we all age gracefully? Yes, definitely! We can do so by caring for our bodies, minds and spirits. One thing I’ve learned from the people I interact with is the importance of mindset. You can be grumpy and act old, or you can “seize the day” and think youthfully, and figure out how you can best leverage your experience, gifts, talents, and resources to better the world around you. It’s all up to us what we choose.