Aging Gracefully

So, in the middle of our dinner conversation, my friend suddenly blurted out: “I don’t want to live past my mid-eighties. No one is really alive in their nineties; just relics of their old selves.” Now, that was an earful over the dinner salad.

To be clear, my friend has been taking care of two elderly friends and doing a wonderful job of being there for them. His stress level is probably elevated a lot of the time and thus came his observation that (as I’ve heard more often than not) ‘old age is a bitch and then you die.’

While I share my friend’s deeply felt concerns about creeping old age eventually sneaking up on all of us, it does seem to me that it is possible to age gracefully. Granted, to do so takes work; a lot of work and should start early in life (which it very seldom does!)

Case in point, I have skin cancer on my face. It isn’t serious right now but I have to get my spots burnt off every six months. Years earlier, when I asked my doctor what precautions I could take now, he smiled and answered: ‘Just the usual like using sun screen, wearing a hat outside and being aware of how much time you spend in the sun. Your condition, he told me, began years ago when you were very young and never protected your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. What’s done is done and can’t be repaired. All I can do is protect my skin as it is right now.

On the flipside, I began running and biking seriously at around age twenty-one and never stopped until well into my sixties. It had nothing to do with health and wellness. Rather it was a habit I picked up almost on a lark. I decided that I would try to run around Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis non-stop.

It was a two-mile route around the lake. Once completed I knew I was a super hero; almost. Then, feeling almost invincible, I tried again the following Saturday, only running that route twice without stopping. Four miles had to have been some kind of world record I convinced myself. From there on, I was hooked. Biking crept in on weekends when I took time off from running.

I still go to the gym five days a week and ride my e-bike as often as I can. The bike’s gear ratio is set just enough to give me a good workout but still able to power up long hills without blowing out a lung or my back. Exercise, like my current obsession with writing, is one addiction I still cling to each day.

A recent medical journal said: ‘Experts in the realm of science, medicine, and health have concluded from study after study that our personal behaviors and decisions greatly affect how well we age.’

It went on to say: ‘People constantly talk about lifespan. What we need to be concerned about is our health span: the number of years we avoid chronic conditions, debilitating disease, and limitations on our mobility.’

Mario Martinez, author of ‘The Mind-body Code,’ declares that getting older is inevitable but aging is optional. The spirit behind the psychologist’s catchy quote bears consideration. The ways we treat our minds and bodies impacts how we look and feel. But how far do we want to go to live forever?

I would flip that question around and ask: how can I do what I want to do and not suffer the consequences? Case in point: I know myself well enough to know that I’m not going to stop drinking coffee. But, at a max of only two cups in the morning, I think I can risk that addiction. On the other hand, soft drinks were always a treat for me until I discovered bubbly water. Now, I mix a quarter cup of lemonade (often from our own lemon tree) with one can of bubbly and it’s a tasty substitute to Coke.

I still have all of my original body parts and want to keep it that way. So, when I hike mountain trails or stumble through a mini-trail run, I always wear my knee braces. I also walk with walking sticks for balance and to ease the pressure on my knees and ankles going downhill.

While I cringe at the word diet, moderation is a more acceptable vernacular thought for me. I’ve never smoked anything or tasted hard liquor for almost sixty-five years. None of those actions were taken in the quest for eternal life or a glimpse of Valhalla in my lifetime. They simply exemplify a lifestyle that I’ve grown very accustomed to and comfortable with.

So, from my perspective, it’s always been about balance. I want to do what I want to do. Now, the question is, can I do it and remain mentally and physically healthy? If so, I’m golden or at least so until a little tarnish appears and I must behave myself again.

It’s been one heck of a ride thus far and I’d like to travel along with many more miles to go.