How Old Is Old?
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You\’ve heard the saying. \”You\’re as old as you feel\”? I believe that is true. When you look at some older people who are active, you wonder how they do it?
The first one that comes to mind is Moses. You\’ve heard of him, the man who lead the children of Israel to the Promised Land, the man who divided the Red Sea, and the man who debated with Pharoah to let the children of Israel leave Egypt. Did you know that when he started this amazing journey that he was 80? That\’s the same age I am. Could I walk for forty years in the wilderness? I doubt it.
Then, there is astronaut Charles Duke. He\’s 85 and working with NASA. He walked on the Moon with Apollo 16 when he was 36, and the youngest man to walk on the Moon. What an adventure he\’s had.
If I asked Moses how he still had strength and energy at 80, he\’s probably tell me he was a shepherd and took care of his father-in-law\’s sheep. He ate well, walked a lot, and had a good night\’s sleep. If you asked me what I did at 80 to keep my strength and energy, I\’d tell you the same thing. I\’d say Charles Duke would also give you the same message.
Eating well and exercising is very important at any age, but as we get older and our bodies begin to break down, we need to watch our diet more. My husband and I decided when we retired to not sit down and wait for death. We are going to face it head-on. It\’s amazing how much better we feel now than we did at 60.
I would advise older people to get some kind of a smart watch. It has helped us to get notifications when we need to get up and walk. We know how many steps and miles we walk each day. I feel it is very important for us older people to keep both our bodies and minds active.
Kathy Cretsinger
Callie\’s Mountain
Suzanna\’s Hope
Smoky Mountain Brides
Coastal Promises
Bogged Down by Murder
This is encouraging! I’m in my 60s, but want my remaining years to be useful. I do need to be more physically active.
Thanks for your kind words. My husband and I decided we did not want to sit around and get useless. Both of our parents were active, and my parents lived into their 90s. Last year I had some trouble with my heart and blood pressure, and I was put on a diet and told to walk. This woke us up, and we began walking in the evenings when it was cooler. We are still walking. I try to get at least 5,000 steps in and his goal is 10,000 steps. When we move around, we feel better. We try to eat balanced meals, and avoid fast food as much as possible. I still cook most of our meals. I know home cooking is better than fast food. Life is good. I don’t want to sit down and do nothing.
Yes, Barbara, try short walks. It’s also good to become involved in something. My writing has helped me through a lot of difficulties. I have a Fitbit, it’s cheaper than an iWatch, and I each hour it tells me to get up and take 250 steps. That started me walking. I try to get at lease 2 miles in each day, but I go for 3. It’s so good for our minds and our body. Get involved with life.