Stay Active to Age Well

How do we stay active? The answer is simple, “by staying active!” That might sound odd but it’s true. Let me explain.

When we are young we are very active. A healthy baby learns to crawl, walk, then run. Most young children can run a long way before getting tired. They also jump, climb, and explore all kinds of things. They can do this because they are young, fit, limber, and they are not afraid of falling down and injuring themselves.  They can tumble down a grassy slope, get up, and do it all over again without getting hurt!

As we age we develop fears and we allow our mind to talk us out of all kinds of things. I once heard a medical doctor recommend that older people not take stairs, but instead opt for escalators or elevators, “so they won’t risk falling and injuring themselves.”  Some people cannot take stairs do to mobility problems that already exist, but for most, taking a safe stairway is the best choice. If you stop taking stairs, odds are, you will never take stairs again. I’ve recently read that people who live in two-story houses stay healthier longer. And this doesn’t just apply to physical health. Taking stairs helps slow-down your brain’s neuronal shrinkage and loss and helps with the maintenance of your brain’s healthy grey matter. So, hold-on to the railing but take stairs for as long as you can.

If you used to snow ski, water ski, hike, play tennis, or other sports, but you now worry about getting hurt, take precautions, but remember, if you stop doing them for long it’s harder to start again.

Stay active, to stay active, and to age well!