NEVADA CITY, California
United States
Cornell College Mt. Vernon, IA
University of California, Berkeley
Author, From Fat to Fit--Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction
Author, The Fat to Fit Meltdown Manual
Author, Remembering When I Was Young
Motivational Speaker and Columnist
Rowley, IA
San Francisco, CA
The ancestor to every action is a thought. Ralph Waldo Emerson
About Me
Interests:
Extended family visits, writing, tennis, cooking, sewing (especially quilting and handwork) along with workouts on the floor in the morning. And did I mention tennis?My Photos (20)
My Videos (1)
My Journals (7)
What worries you about getting older? A market research study conducted by GfK Roper Consulting addresses this question. Reported in the March 2008 issue of Dr. Andrew Weil’s Self Healing newsletter, the study determined that worries about aging vary by culture. Germans worry about losing their mental alertness, while the Dutch don’t want to gain weight. Thais want to retain their eyesight. Americans have four fears: losing their energy, becoming dependent on others, losing their memory and gaining weight.
Because we focus on the minuses associated with aging, the pluses are less obvious. Among others, benefits include a perspective honed from surviving many a rough spot, an enriched joy in living and, if we’re wise, an in-depth insight into ourselves and others.
Although the specific fears about aging vary by culture, the underlying fear is a shared one: losing some aspect of fitness. Increasingly though, we are learning that what we consider to be the effects of aging—for example, loss of mobility or added weight—are instead functions of lifestyle choices.
This information is good news because we can alter our lifestyle to avoid or slow some of the negative consequences of aging. Knowing that we can make choices today that will shape our future frees us from our fear of aging. That’s the theme of Dr. Henry Lodge’s book Younger Next Year, Dr. Andrew Weil’s book Healthy Aging and similarly titled books currently on the bestseller list.
Whatever our age, size, time or station in life, fitness needs to be a priority. Fitness can be pursued at age 9 or 90, at size 10 or 20. It can be the goal of a pregnant woman, a person recovering cancer or a person who uses a wheel-chair. Whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we can strive for fitness; that is, we can work to become our best physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self. This philosophy is summarized in the acronym FEAST: Fitness at Every Age, Size and Time of Life.
Genetic destiny determined that I would be a 5-foot-1-inch female rather than a 6-foot-2-inch male. That I would have a smattering of athletic skills but never become an Olympic athlete. That I would have a reasonably good mind but never be labeled a genius. My job is to make the most of my gifts to maximize my genetic destiny.
I can impact the aging process by the daily choices I make. For example, according to Dr. Weil and others, regular exercise can slow and even prevent age-related changes in my brain. Research indicates that exercise can even reverse the effects of aging. And keeping my weight at a reasonable level by healthful eating improves my chances of warding off life-threatening illnesses.
Extensive promotions for the latest, greatest and fastest-working weight-loss scheme are touted, one after the other, throughout the media. These advertisements make me realize how important it is to focus on fitness rather than dieting to achieve quick weight loss. After years of failure, I’m convinced that dieting is like riding on a train that loops around in circles before stopping to let you off. Only after you’ve debarked do you realize you are standing in the same place where you embarked. Instantly, you know where and how you were taken. Even so, waiting for the next train is tempting.
Forget the train ride. Buy a pedometer and begin walking. Feel reassured that you can be fit at every age, size and time in your life. If you take care of your body through regular exercise and careful eating, it will shape itself into the condition that best serves its needs. If you do your part, you can count on genetic destiny to bring you to your highest level of personal fitness.
Won’t you join me at the table and celebrate the FEAST?
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