In my book How to Live Beyond 100 Years, I talk a lot about the myths surrounding the process and signs of aging. You mustn’t fear the years! There are many ways to embrace these later stages of being and make them the best of your life!
“Old age isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative.” ~ Maurice Chevalier
Most humans don’t fully evolve into their “final selves” until they pass 40. It takes that long to gain our skills, hone our personalities, make plenty of mistakes (and then a few more for good measure), and basically charge through what is always referred to as “the first half” with a few stumbles.
By considering 0-40 the “first half,” that implies that 41-80 are the “second half.” That 80 is assumed to be the “end” of our personal game of life.
Ha! At 73 myself, I refuse to look at it that way…and you shouldn’t either!
If you’re over 50, you might be physically slower than you used to be (exceptional athletes of advanced age are remarkable exceptions). Once you reach 60, there are probably some aches and pains you don’t remember having before. Passing 70 may see the arrival of a few health issues and some random skips in your memory. If you’re over 80 (or approaching it), you may live with more than a little fear about what happens next.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
There is no reason that life must gradually decline, getting worse and worse, as if one is doing nothing more than waiting for death. If you’re reading this, you’re still very much alive. That means it’s critical to strive for the next moment and the next.
No matter your age or state of health, there is no need to “throw in the towel” because you think the game is already over. No, absolutely not.
Each morning, I seize the day.
Every moment, every breath, every experience I have is an opportunity to take life by the horns and use each opportunity to move myself forward. I’m still living, you see? I’m not waiting to die as it seems so many of advanced age end up doing.
That’s one of the biggest (and most effective) ways to stop the signs of aging.
No matter your mobility, your health issues, your familial relationships, you are still breathing…and not one of those breaths should be wasted.
From my book, How to Live Beyond 100 Years…
By the time we start to understand the secrets of a good life, our looks have started to decay. At the point when we should be at our wisest, most vibrant and sexiest, our energies are fading fast.
Kids don’t know what they have and while we watch them squandering it we can only sigh!
If we could link some of the wisdom we gain over the years to the seemingly inexhaustible energy of the younger generation that would be a formula for a life well lived.
The Boomer generation (I’m one of them) have decided we’re not going to take this lying down. We want to live to 120, enjoy every minute, look great, work hard, play hard, have lots of sex, and dance on our last day! In fact, we Boomers have started an anti-aging revolution.
When I went through medical school (and still today in many quarters), medical scientists insisted aging was a process nobody could do anything about, believing life expectancy was fixed at birth.
What baloney!
There are dozens of degenerative processes which take place in our bodies. If left unchecked, they cause a progressive inability to function, slow clumsy movements, aches and pains, confused and irrational thinking, wrinkles and unpleasant looking skin, weakness and frailty, stooped posture, incontinence, and other humiliating conditions, which even the heartiest soul will find demeaning.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
There are around 100,000 people in the United States alone who have reached 100 years of age. The global number of centenarians is rising fast.
Despite serious conditions – like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, autoimmune, and dementia – and our atrocious habits – poor diet, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, and screen addiction – the human organism has evolved substantially, very much without our help.
We’re already living longer on average and the likelihood that you’ll live past 100 (and me, too!), is higher than it was even a century ago.
“Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” ~ Betty Friedan
So! You must prepare for becoming a being of 100 years and beyond! You must do everything you can to preserve (or repair, in some cases) your body and slow (or reverse) the signs of aging.
Think about it this way…
If it’s possible for even one human to be healthy, mentally alert, and physically mobile at the age of 100 (and there are plenty) – that means it is possible for every single one of us!
I plan to prove this theory myself!
I go into great detail about tips and tricks to slow (even stop) the signs of aging easily, naturally, and effectively in my book. However, here are 5 of the most critical areas that you need to address (today) in your life.
Remember, it doesn’t matter how old (or young) you are right now. It’s never too early or late to make positive mental, physical, and emotional changes in your life.
5 Hot Tips to Slow Signs of Aging
- Lower your stress (professional, romantic, physical, mental, etc)
- Improve your diet (I’ve written endlessly on this topic so get reading!)
- Sleep at least 8 hours per night (make it good, quality sleep)
- Get moving (even 15 minutes daily of low-impact exercise does help)
- Drop the garbage (smoking, excessive alcohol, processed food, and so forth)
By following these simple tips, and you can’t get much simpler, you will improve your heart rate, gut health, brain function, mood, energy levels, and so much more!
Sometimes, the easiest solutions are overlooked for complex, convoluted ideas “of the moment.” The common sense ways are best. They cost you little to nothing, they give you almost immediate results, and you can gradually ramp up your focus on each tip to further slow signs of aging.
“Too many people, when they get old, think that they have to live by the calendar.” ~ John Glenn
Just because you pass a date on the calendar doesn’t mean it’s time to throw in the towel and wait for the end! No! You have life left to live and it’s time you got up and started living it.
For you “younger folks” who might be reading this…take note as well! The years pass quicker than you might think!
If you like information about improving your health and slowing the signs of aging, you should read my book, How to Live Beyond 100 Years…I think you’ll find it fascinating!