I noticed reference on the Healthy Town calendar to “Go for Life” and found out that it is a national programme that encourages older people to engage in sports and physical activity.
It makes so much sense to think that getting older should not be a barrier to reaping the benefits of sport or an active lifestyle. I am sure that engaging in exercise at a level appropriate to your age and ability staves off many of the negatives associated with ageing.
It made me think about age and ageing, I am not a huge fan of the term “anti ageing”. Hey, I am all for ageing - as someone once said “it is better than the alternative”. It is strange how we typically view ageing though isn’t it?
As a general rule youth is revered and millions are spent on skincare and cosmetics and even on surgery to make ourselves appear as young as possible. We cannot stop the advance of time and it seems strange to think that we could be anti something that is pretty inevitable!
Don’t get me wrong - I hide my grey hairs and slap on creams and make up that “promise” to keep me youthful, but I try to keep my expectations of the outcome realistic (most of the time!).
I am sure when I was in my teens and twenties I viewed being 40 or above as positively ancient! Now that I am here it doesn’t seem quite so old - funny that. I think ageing well is a lot about attitude and while the knees get creakier and the pillow creases take longer to fade in the morning, a positive outlook and zest for life are what keep people vibrant and well into old age.
I don’t mean to sound flippant - I know so many people deal with stresses and illnesses and have burdens in their lives that make a positive outlook difficult to maintain. Tony Bates spoke of this in his talk a few weeks ago - it is not about the situation you find yourself in, it is about how you deal with that situation and your response to it.
It really is worth thinking about how we age and deal with the ageing process. There is no doubt that eating well, remaining active and keeping engaged in the world around us makes it easier. So I am willing to take steps to keep me as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
I know omega oils are important for brain function so I am taking a daily dose along with trying to eat healthily. I will keep making time for regular exercise.
Additionally I will work on my attitude to getting older. It really is not something to fear but something to appreciate, savour and enjoy! So here’s to positive ageing not anti-ageing. I’d like to stick around for a while yet so I may as well enjoy it!
