Getting old...but kicking and scream on the way.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

There are many things that I used to give no notice which now catch my attention. One of those things would be the ‘AARP Bulletin’, which is a publication with stories of interest for old people…like me. I took notice of this particular issue because the cover features the picture of a man, aged 59, sitting on his Trek road bike and with the caption “Terry Schleede finds the fountain of youth”. Turns out Terry was a guy who three years ago weighed 263 pounds and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Apparently, he had a diet that including a lot of soda, and, I’m guessing, other rather unhealthy items. He replaced them with a lot of fruits and vegetables and began to walk for exercise. He eventually entered a mini-triathlon (swim/bike/run competition) and has now dropped 80 pounds and continues to compete.

James Fries, M.D., a pioneer researcher on healthy aging at Stanford University, says “if you had to pick on thing that comes closest to the fountain of youth, it would be exercise.” I don’t suppose this surprises too many people, but it still bears mentioning what research has proven on the topic. I won’t go into all the statistics, but the data shows people who exercise live longer, have a reduced chance of suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancers, depression, and a lessening of mental decline.

Like so many of us, I have watched loved ones get old and die. It’s going to happen to me, too, but what I’m fighting for with all that I do is to maintain as much quality as I can for as long as I can. I want to still be hiking the back country of the Adirondacks into my 80’s if I can, but that’s not happening unless I stay active, which I intend to do. I’ve seen too many people struggle to get up out of a chair as they age because they ignored exercise, ate and drank poorly and let their bodies age without a struggle. There was no excuse for them and there is none for me.

Okay…having said all that, I took a day off. I had a massive headache and succumbed to the comfort of over-the-counter drugs and the couch. I’m still not eating as well as I could, but I’m no saint and don’t profess to be one. I hope to get back out running in the next two days and I’m going to come back to it slowly. It’s my best defense against weight gain and I miss it.