February 20, 2016

Forget Aging


Mom had a tough life. She was in constant pain from injuries, cheerleading, arthritis, medicine side effects, and too many surgeries to count (over 20, 25?). She joked if she knew she would live so long, she would have taken better care of herself.

Please understand my comments are a mix of snarky, tongue in cheek, truth and a goal of living to be 120. Decided the live to 120 goal at 17, living to 100 was too common. Going kicking & screaming when the time comes.

Mom’s statement of taking care of yourself must have stuck. Am fit for my age, within my weight goal, playing volleyball for 30+ years since my first rotator cuff injury. A very good player into my 40’s, now play more for exercise and fun.

Can do all the stupid things I did 10 years ago. Just going to hurt a little longer... Saying that for about 30 years so far. Am favorite butt of my jokes. (Those who can laugh at themselves will be endlessly entertained). 

Not the best athlete in the family. Uncle Carl is 81 and still playing senior softball & senior basketball tournaments and all-star teams. At least 20 more years before can kick back and relax.

Uncle Carl is amazing - smart, great personality, retired business owner and professional gambler. Last year his team traveled from NJ to Buffalo for a tournament and were short handed with 7 players. They proceeded to win the tournament. My cousins were impressed with their dad as am I.

We have not been able to do this without illnesses, injuries and accidents. Uncle Carl fell down the stairs in Hawaii and took a year to recover in his 70’s. Have two bum knees from growing 9 inches in a year and half. My right shoulder has had 3 or 4 rotator cuff injuries.  Been limping with a sore leg, and can’t imagine how many injuries and sprains have had. If I wake up and nothing hurts, check and see if am still alive. (~Rodney Dangerfield)

There has been a medical study of a group of runners in Manchester, CT who have been followed for 25+ years. After 25 years half the runners are doing the same distance and times. The logical question is were they affected by illnesses and injuries? The answer is yes, half were. However half of the runners with the illnesses and injuries were in the group running the same times and distances.

You can recover, rehab, persist and overcome if you do the work.

Advice: Find something you love doing. I run, dive on the ground, and jump like a maniac to keep a ball in the air. It is competitive, social, and a lot of fun. Then we won’t mind the sacrifices to stay in shape. Nothing wrong with a bunch of things you like to do either.

Beginning to research how to stop or reverse aging. Truthfully cruised into my mid-50’s in great shape. Lost weight when had to. Only now beginning to feel some aging effects.

Patrick Cox’s Tech Digest is a great place to start. Read “2015: The Year Anti-ageing Came of Age” for good info.

Go out and exercise a little tomorrow. A walk, hike, run, swim, dance or whatever opportunity you have for fun.

The challenge is my mind tells me am 25. My body tells me my Mind Lies.

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