Tips that will help you get over that hump and discover some common denominators.
Are starting to look like your mom?
I’m not quite sure when I started to feel my mortality. When did it happen for you? For many people the realization that you will someday look like your mom or your dad comes around the age of 50. Usually the awakening, as I refer to it, is just a fleeting glance in a mirror. Perhaps for you it was an unflattering photograph taken unexpectedly. It’s that “oh gosh, I look like my mom” moment.
One thing that is vitally important to realize and the great common denominator for all of us, is that you are still around to consider aging a problem!
Are you getting fat?
What about the great suit you just dragged out of the closet from a few years ago and found that it was just a little too snug? No, it’s not possible you got that big in so short a time! Let’s blame it on the dry cleaners. They must have shrunk it.
Excuse me, what did you say?
Do you find that you have to turn the TV up a notch or two? Of course, it can not be your hearing; it’s definitely those new sound systems in the flat screen TVs, right? Perhaps it’s your spouse talking and talking. You just had to tune them out, right?
Sticky Notes
I don’t know about you, but I find myself leaving sticky notes as reminders of things I must do all around the house. If it wasn’t for the reminder function on my computer calendar, I will definitely be a no-show. Do you say; call me to remind me to your friends”.
Here’s a really big question, are you getting less patient and cranky? It’s not you, is it? It just had to be the receptionist at the doctor’s office, or the clerk at the bank. Yes, it’s everybody else but you!
Exercise
Did you ever wonder why there were so many fitness clubs and at the same time you make excuses why you don’t have time to exercise? Is there a little voice in your head that says; “ it won’t help anyway, I’m too far gone”. “Why bother and where is that candy bar I hid last week”?
Magnifying Glasses
Are you finding that price tags are getting tinier and tinier and almost impossible to read when you’re not wearing your magnifying glasses? If you’re anything like me, you think it’s a plot contrived on the part of manufacturers so we don’t notice how expensive everything is getting. Just throw it in the shopping cart, why dig for your glasses in your purse?
We are living in a youth and beauty-oriented society. What makes it harder for you? It’s your attitude! We are on the same journey; lets make it the most exciting trip possible.
Here are a few suggestions for this worldwide dilemma.
1. Body Mass Index
Did you know that carrying just a little extra weight around could extend your life and definitely make you look younger. The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging performed a study involving 3000 seniors. The results showed that seniors with a body mass index of 27, versus a body mass of the recommended 19 to 25 for younger people, live longer than those with lower body mass index. I’m not telling you to go ahead and eat that extra doughnut or discontinue exercising. I am however letting you know that a little extra weight can actually serve as a protection against some illnesses. Be aware that a body mass index of over 30 can be dangerous. But, don’t you think were just a little healthier looking a wee bit rounder as the golden years creep up on us?
2. Hearing Loss
Losing you’re hearing is not inevitable. While we age, as a part of the normal aging process, cells within the ear begin to die off. But only 35% of 80-year-old people really need hearing aids. There are some things that you can do to protect yourself. May I suggest that earplugs be used when you’re exposed to any excessively loud noises no matter what age you are? For example, using the lawnmower without earplugs is not a good idea. The extra loud speakers in your car are also extremely damaging on a long-term basis. You may get lots of attention from the opposite sex when you are young at noisy bars and concerts, but not being able to hear when you are try to impress someone in those advanced years is a big turn off.
Caution: Some medications—including intravenous antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, and narcotics such as hydroquinone—can permanently damage hearing. People who have lost hearing in one ear should be sure to let their doctor know.
3. Senility
Senility does not happen to everyone. Somehow we all think becoming senile is horrible and the minute you forget something we think it’s happening to us. While nearly everyone experiences a certain amount of decline in cognitive abilities as they age, most of us don’t have an actual impairment in memory that severely interferes with our ability to live independently well into old age. Alzheimer’s is a disease just like heart disease or diabetes. It does not happen to everyone. One of my best friends is more than 20 years my senior and well in her 80’s and is as sharp as my daughter. Why not rev up your circulation and eat a healthy diet before you start forgetting. It really helps. Start walking more.
4. Get your energy back
If you want to get your energy back pay attention to this study done by BLSA. Evidence now suggests that people who take up exercise later in life—say, at age 70—experience improved heart function by lowering their resting heart rate and increasing their heart mass and the amount of blood pumped with each beat. The study also showed evidence that heart attacks declined among older men who took up a high-intensity activity like swimming or running. Older exercisers also experience less shortness of breath and fatigue.
5. Get your eyes checked
The key is to have regular eye exams so you can spot problems early. I can’t stress that enough. Protect your eyes from too much sunlight by wearing sunglasses that block ultraviolet (UV) radiation and a hat with a wide brim when you are outside.
Consult your eye examiner if you:
- Have trouble seeing well enough to do everyday tasks like reading, cooking, or sewing
- Can’t recognize the faces of friends or family
- Have trouble reading street signs
- Find that lights don’t seem as bright
If you have any of these problems, ask your eye care professional to test you for low vision. There are special tools and aids to help people with low vision read, write, and manage daily tasks. These include large-print reading materials, magnifying aids, closed-circuit televisions, audiotapes, electronic reading machines, and computers with large print and a talking function. Sometimes changing the type of lighting in your room can help.
Much of the above interesting information was published at http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/articles/2009/02/20/5-common-myths-about-aging.html
