Growing Old
Growing old probably means different things for each of us. Let’s follow the mileposts down the humorous highways of our lives. There's lots of twists and turns, but still a few landmarks that we all have in common, give or take a few miles!
21: Just couldn’t wait – adulthood in every state!
28: 10-year high school reunion already?
29: We notice co-workers younger than we are.
32: Where did the strand(s) of gray hair come from?
37: Our arms don’t stretch as far as they used to, so those dime store reading glasses sure come in handy.
40: The first anniversary of our 39th birthday! But wait, 40 is the new 30!
42: Got to get more sleep (mistaking those age lines for looking tired)!
45: More concerned for just having hair than what color it is!
49: Why am I getting these applications from AARP?
50: Colonoscopy??!!
51: Boomeritis sets in.
52: We notice hair turning gray in places other than our head.
55: Our boss is younger than our children.
57: The waitress at Denny’s offers us the senior discount without our asking.
60: No problem – 60 is the new 40!
62: Early bird specials at the restaurant start to make sense.
65: Can we get home before dark?
70: Where did we put that list of things to remember?
75: How cool are these wrap-around sunglasses?
85: So who were the Beatles again?
Growing Old - Boomeritis
In our quest to not grow old, it’s very possible to catch boomeritis – aka the weekend warrior syndrome. Prime candidates are any of us still believing we can play the same sports at 50 that we did at 25 (or less). But now we carry just a few extra pounds along with stress and a workday schedule that allows no time for regular exercise, giving us a sense of urgency to cram something extreme into the weekend. Ouch! That can bring injuries to the back, neck, knees, tendons, ligaments and bone fractures.
What’s the cure? A program to build muscle mass, particularly our core muscles to protect against back injuries and to retard the loss of bone density. A greater focus on nutritional needs is also necessary, and so we need to start re-learning the basic food groups and start reading some nutrition labels. For example, magnesium plays an integral role in muscle strength, contraction and relaxation, and studies have found that higher levels of magnesium promote stronger hand grips and greater leg power. Magnesium can be had naturally from a variety of fruits, grain, dairy products and dark leafy vegetables.
For more tips like these, scroll over to Health Tips and what it means to Eat Healthy. Let's get smart about getting older!
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