Don't blame it on being 'Too Old'. Blame the Truth!

Plus: 11 Daily Habits for Healthy Aging, My morning Stretching Routine, and Walking Group August challenge

Welcome to a weekly newsletter for people in the second half of life who want to increase their healthspan and remain upbeat, because it’s never too late to thrive. Subscribe to access posts, podcasts, and videos. Upgrade if you’d like access to ALL the posts, podcasts and videos.

Photo by Effing Simple by Toni Vans on Unsplash

Don’t Blame It On Being ‘Too Old’.

Early Midlifers, do you see old age as a time to dread?

• Ignore the naysayers and the ageists.

• The second half of life is as important as the first

• You can live it to the full if you work at it

• Do what it takes to keep moving like a younger person

• Stay connected

• Respect your gut and eat healthily

• It’s up to you

• Choose adventure not vegetating, in life’s second half.

Sixty and Seventy Year Olds

When you sit down, do you flop into a seat with a groan? Can you get back up on the first attempt? Do you have to get help to stretch to the top shelves that you used to be able to reach easily in supermarkets? When you drop something, is it a problem retrieving it? All these issues are to do with an unfit, inflexible body.

Do you have to take laxatives regularly to get your system moving? Are pills a regular source of relief with digestive issues? Do you have embarrassing problems with wind? Check out your diet, you’re probably eating overly processed foods that lack fibre. Fibre is essential to keep your digestive system moving.

Don’t Blame it on your age

• Blame it on your lack of strength

• Blame it on your lack of energy

• Blame it on your lack of balance

• Blame it on your poor diet

• Blame it on your overly large waistline

• Blame it on your lack of sleep

• But don’t blame it on your age!

Blaming it on your age is a cop-out; it means there’s nothing you can do about it - you can’t stop ageing. But if you directly address the problem that causes you to say “I can’t do it because I’m too old”, you’ll see it’s not your age that’s at fault, it’s your lack of ability to bend, stretch, or move easily. The way to counteract that is to exercise and move often throughout the day. Don’t sit for long periods of time, inactive.

Take responsibility for your health; don’t give up your agency and allow decay and decline to take over. That’s a surefire route to victimhood and loss of independence. To continue to live a fully engaged life independently, you need to be in control. You need to extend your healthspan - the length of life lived in good health.

11 Daily Habits for Healthy Ageing.

1. Use smaller plates and dishes to ensure you eat smaller portions

2. Be sure to eat nutrient packed meals that are unprocessed, with little or no sugar and salt.

3. Start the day with an exercise routine that stretches every part of the body.

4. Do several exercise snacks throughout the day

5. Do 5 squats - leg strength is vital for retaining independence

6. Walk a minimum of 4,000 steps

7. Practice breathing exercises to strengthen your lungs and recharge your cells with oxygen

8. Start the day with sunlight

9. Take micro moments of rest with eyes shut to reinvigorate your brain and body

10. Do something that connects you with others: email, phone, text, write a letter to a friend or family member.

11. Go to bed at the same time every night following a routine, and sleep well.

Staying young in mind and body is all about mindset. Science has shown us that people who think themselves younger than their actual age have a younger biological age; in tests, their bodies show results for a younger person. They look after their health and wellbeing. It’s not necessarily about wanting to look younger, but being able to stay fully functioning and engaged with life. They treat life as an adventure, not a chore to get through.

Of course, illness and disease are not entirely in our control; genes have a part to play. Science tells us that lifestyle has an 80% influence on our outcome, and genes, 20%. Even the fittest of us can be poleaxed by illness. But our recovery is more likely to be successful if our immune system is strong enough to overcome it. A fit and well body means a robust immune system.

Further reading from the archive: 15 Lifestyle Habits To Stay Younger for Longer

My Morning Stretching Routine

Not only do I write about how important it is to keep moving and exercise regularly, but it’s something I do every day. I start the day with a stretching sequence that changes over time. Some of the movements are from qigong. There are 12 exercises in the current sequence.

If you want to try this, I suggest you bear in mind your fitness level and do only what you can do fairly easily until you become looser and fitter. Start by doing each one 5 times. Then build up to 20 times.

The first one is to get the back flexible.

1. Spine Twist and Arm Swing. Stand with legs hip-width apart and swing round from the waist side to side, with a little bobbing movement in between, swinging the arms loosely.

Then move on to concentrating on arms and shoulders:

2. Heel Drops. First, lift both arms and heels, then lower them.

3. Then single arm and heel drops.

4. Rotate the arms backwards in their shoulder joints, like a windmill.

5. Swing the arms out wide then in front and across the chest and back to the sides.

6. Hands in namaste (or prayer) position in front of the chest, head down. Move the arms backwards and slowly bring the head up and back (good for the neck). The arms should be stretching back, bent at the elbow, hands up. Bring them forward and together as you slowly bring the head back down to your chest.

Next move on to the lower body, starting with knees.

7. Lift both arms and at the same time, a knee, lower it and

   then raise the other knee, along with arms.

Next is one that is good for knees, ankle and balance.

8. Stand on one leg, hands on hips (or holding onto a chairback), raise the knee of the other and rotate the lower leg 5 times, then the other way. Do the same with the ankle, 5 turns one way and five the other. Then swap legs.

9. Stand with legs wide apart and lower your upper body down (not forward). Bend one leg and move over to that side, touching the ground with opposite arm, or your thigh. Then the other side, and so on, in a kind of skating motion.

10. 5 lunge squats (single leg squats) on each side. Staying in the wide leg (horse) position, swivel to the right side (holding on if you can’t balance) and bend the back leg toward the ground five times. Then move round to the left leg and repeat.

11. 10 full squats. I sometimes end with

12. 5 squat jumps: lower the knees into a squat position, then swing the arms up and jump.

Walking Group August Challenge

Besides the 4,000 daily step count, our walking group can choose to do a second challenge. In July, it was Heel Drops (or Heel Lifts). We’ll continue with the Heel Drops for August, as they are so good for creating bone density without being too arduous in the hot summer temperatures.

We’re over halfway through the year, and our committed group continue to check in regularly on the Chat thread with their daily results. In case you’re interested, this is a list of the 2nd challenges for each month so far:

January: No second challenge

February: 20 squats

March: Exercise Snacks

April: Spring Chores

May: Backwards Walking

June: Floor No Hands

Discussion

Do you ever blame something on your age?

Thanks so much for reading this post. Hit the share button and send it to friends who might appreciate it too! Tapping the heart icon will show you liked it and help others find it.

Disclaimer: The content of my posts is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered medical, physical, psychological, health, or wellness advice. Do not make decisions based on this content alone. Always consult a qualified health professional. What I share here is meant to provide information to help you explore what’s right for you.