GROWING older could mean growing healthier. I say this because after retirement you have less stress and strain, and you also have much more time to take care of yourself.
In many ways you are only as old as you think and feel. Mark Twain once said: “Whatever a man’s age he can reduce it several yes by putting a bright-coloured flower in his buttonhole.”
A lively fresh outlook on existence is essential in order to enjoy life at any age. Most physicians believe that there is a direct connection between one’s state of mind and physical health. This seems especially true when you are in the ‘sunset’ years of your life and are faced with the challenges of retirement.
Plato said: “He who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition, youth and age are equally a burden.” Doesn’t it sound true?
So, if you look at retirement as an opportunity to take better care of yourself and to purse old and new interests, you’ll surely go a long way towards achieving better health.
No disease results just from the passage of time. And we age piecemeal — each organ separately, and not uniformly. So what makes a person think and feel old?
Physically, we mature at about 25 to 30, when the body reaches maximum size and strength. At that age, body tissues and cells are constantly being rebuilt and renewed.
Nutrition, rest, exercise, and stress influence the length of time that the body can maintain a balance between the wearing down and rebuilding of body tissues. When more cells die than can be reproduced, they are replaced by a fibrous, inert substance called collagen. The living process slows down to compensate and we begin aging; strengthen and ability start to decline.
But this happens at various intervals. For instance, vision is sharpest at age 25; the eye loses its ability to make rapid adjustments in focus after you turn 40. Hearing is sharpest at the age of about 10 and as you grow older it lessens. Also, the sensitivity to taste and smell lessens after the age of 60.
The decline in strength and muscle ability is long and gradual; there are even gratifying plateaus. At 50, a man still has bout four-fifths of the muscle strength he had when he was 25.
But while thinking of physical change, remember that this is just one aspect of aging. Age is determined by emotional and intellectual maturity as well as by chronological years.
Although physical abilities may decline, mental abilities may actually improve during the middle years, and memory and the ability to learn can remain sharp.
Can a person do anything to retard aging?
Most gerontologists feel that the reason more people don’t live longer is that they are not willing to follow a regimen of diet, exercise, rest, recreation — coupled with the exclusion of various excesses. And wile there isn’t anything you can do to set back the clock, you can keep in good health by making sure to have regular physical examinations, sufficient exercise, adequate rest, nutritious food, and above all, a positive mental attitude.
As you grow older, regular exercise can help you look, feel, and work better. Various organs and systems of the body, particularly the digestive process, are stimulated through activity, and as a result, these are able to work more effectively.
You can improve your posture through exercise that tones supporting muscles. This not only improves appearance, but also decreases the frequency of lower-back pain and disability.
The other salient benefits of exercise are that it can increase your ability to relax and tolerate fatigue; it improves muscle tone and reduces fat deposits; it improves working capacity of the lungs and improves kidney and liver functions; finally, it increases the volume of blood, haemoglobin, and red cells leading to an improved utilization of oxygen and iron.
Also, physically active people are less likely to experience a heart attack or other forms of cardiovascular disease than the sedentary ones.
Exercise need not be something you must do, but rather something you enjoy doing. One of the most practical and enjoyable exercises is walking. Charles Dickens said: “Walk and be happy, walk and be healthy. The best of all ways to lengthen our days is to walk, steadily and with a purpose. The wandering man knows of certain ancients, far gone in years, who have staved off infirmities and dissolution by earnest walking — hale fellows close upon 80 and 90, but brisk as boys.”
Walking is as natural to the human body as breathing. It is a muscular symphony; all the foot, leg, hip muscles and the back muscles are involved in this exercise. There is automatic action of the arm and shoulder muscles and the eye muscles are exercised as you look about. What more could you ask for?
Swimming and cycling are two other exercises involving almost all the muscles of a human body. Surprisingly, most games do not provide good exercise because the action is intermittent — starting and stopping — a burst of energy and then a pause.
The most important thing is to keep occupied, remain cheerful and be content with whatever has been dished out to you in life. Be forgiving and don’t carry grudges to your grave. As the song goes, Don’t worry, be happy. And if you are 70 or above, like I am, remember that every new day of your life is a bonus from the Almighty.
Offer thanks to Him at all times of the day, for keeping you alive and for giving you everything that you now have — your spouse, your children and your grandchildren, all of whom love you with all the heart.
I’d like to conclude this article on a somewhat personal note. My father adored his many grandchildren and would never tire of telling his fiends, “Your children are part of your capital, but your grandchildren are the Interest that you are earning on your capital.” God bless his kind soul.
GROWING older could mean growing healthier. I say this because after retirement you have less stress and strain, and you also have much more time to take care of yourself.
