Pushing 60 Aside

At this season I’m choosing to share a few of my own Christmas memories and current ones as well. I know you’ll rekindle thoughts of your own favorite shenanigans as you listen! Merry Christmas!

I believe that games can be an important tool in maintaining your mental acuity as you age. In tonight’s podcast I talk about the role of games in my life AND all three that I play are very different. All require deep thought, some strategies, and considerable effort — BUT, they’re uniquely stimulating to my brain.

Let’s discuss emotions! Better yet, let’s talk about our emotional states — Joy, Fear, Sadness, and even Anger. At first glance, we nod our heads in acknowledgement. We know these emotions well! But joy is not just one simple emotional condition…in fact it comes in many forms — beautiful weather, a wedding, a hug, a religious experience, a song, and countless other things. Anger, fear, and sadness come in many forms, too. So, let’s weave through these emotions and how vital they are in feeling alive, in touch, or even being worried. I certainly wouldn’t want to live in anger, fear, or sadness ALL the time, but I know that joy ebbs and flows, too.

Leg strength is the key to a long and enjoyable life BECAUSE once you can’t get up easily, your options fall off quickly — everyday tasks get appreciably harder. PART II is about eating the basics in view of skyrocketing grocery prices.

Like deer in the headlights, we’re facing down aging. We WANT to age and be smart about it. However good our intentions, we sometimes lack the motivation to get started and then keep on doing the things we know will ultimately help us merge into our latter years strong enough and healthy enough to enjoy them. This idea of intentions and motivation applies to exercise and eating…the struggle comes in doing what we know we should.

Great! You’ve made it to retirement age. What are you going to do now? The original goal was just working long enough to be able to retire. Will you travel? Garden? Fish? Golf? What is your plan? What is your purpose? Did you consider volunteering? Mentoring? Teaching classes? We ALL need to have a purpose…something beyond just passing time…something that uses some of those talents you’ve amassed over the years.

One out of four people 65 and older will fall this year according to the CDC. Many of these seniors will have hip fractures or traumatic brain injuries. The challenge is to NOT have a fall in the first place. Granted, people younger than 65 also have fall injuries, but it’s harder to recover as we get older. The trick is to be proactive in fall prevention through balance exercises, regular medical check-ups, and making efforts to reduce trip hazards in the home/yard.

A number of issues create limitations in what seniors can do as they merge into their golden years. From arthritis to heart disease to surgical histories, to injuries or hearing/vision loss — so just what are we facing and how can we make the best of the years to come?

Here’s my spin on making friends in our senior years. Perhaps making friends has never been easy for you? What if your life has changed because you’re suddenly a widow or widower? I believe we have few true friends and MANY acquaintances; both are important. But there’s something about having a BEST friend!

Let’s talk about what we really want! We want to feel better! We want to be healthier! How do we formulate a reasonable plan for successfully getting through our senior years?

Here’s a 9-point list of things that we should consider to maintain general health after age 60. Truth is, most of these things have been important most of our lives, but they’re especially important now that we’ve pushed 60 aside.

Falling hurts! Exercise is work! Taking risks leads to injuries! How are we going to make sure we’re as healthy and functional as we can be in FIVE years? What types of exercises are necessary and reasonable? In this episode, I talk about THREE things I just don’t do anymore because they’re risky. I hope you enjoy the podcast!

Today’s podcast (Part 1) takes a hard look at some of the difficulties aging presents with a discussion about being as healthy and prepared as you can be. Part 2 is a frank discussion about weight loss and weight management as a senior person.

Many times I’ve read where physicians and health professionals have declared that 85% of all ailments humans have could have been avoided by adherence to a healthy diet and regular exercise. Oh how I wish I’d applied this formula to my own life when I was much younger! But no, I didn’t. So, I suffered directly as a result of bad diet and a lack of exercising. Even so, I got on the fitness wagon in my early 50s and turned my health around. It’s never too late to take better care of yourself!

Injuries happen to just about everyone (including yours truly)! So, what’s worth discussion on the Pushing 60 Aside podcast…how about a general approach to assessing and dealing with a minor injury to a knee? Yeah, I’m dealing with a knee issue, but nothing that would require surgery. Basically, my knee is angry! Inflamed! And, quite painful at times. YET, I’m still teaching group fitness classes AND I don’t see myself giving up. Listen in as I talk about dealing with an overuse injury through time-tested protocols for minor injuries that can cause major pain!

This podcast features a candid and unscripted interview with my friend and fitness client Porter “Tim” Colvard. At age 94, Tim never ceases to amazed me. I think you’ll appreciate his responses on a number of topics including dating, marriage, work, diet, and living as a bachelor following the loss of his beloved Dorothy.

Here’s kind of a hodgepodge podcast where I ask the question: “Did Exercise Cause a Stroke?” And, the two ingredients that wreak havoc in our dietary choices —salt and sugar.

Activity — physical activity, that is, IS important every single day for people who’ve entered their senior years. Being sedentary is absolutely the WORST thing any of us should be. But, how much, how often, and how intense should exercise be? Rest and recovery days are every bit as important as exercise days. The American Heart Association states that we need about 150 minutes per week of fairly challenging and purposeful exercise. The US Center for Disease Control agrees with them.

Oh yeah! The clock is ticking, but are you doing everything within your means to fight the hands of time where aging is concerned? Are you considering what life will be like for you 5 or 10 years from now? Will life be full of suffering or pleasantly enjoyed? Listen for my take on fighting time itself where aging is concerned.

Appearing on local radio to talk about senior fitness programs is, perhaps, the best way to reach hundreds of people in my local community. I use the format to talk about fitness and to invite people to my SAIL classes. Listen as Amy (the DJ) and I talk like old friends about exercise that helps people stay safe and healthy in their Golden Years.