I’m on holidays visiting family, and I notice this stuck up on the fridge. “Senior”?! Who’s a “senior” here? Oh, wait. Some of my family now. Time goes on, whether we like it our not.
I sometimes notice a visible wince when I bring up “healthy aging” in consultations with patients, particularly with women under 50.
It’s too soon, they think.
And while later is “too late”, it’s far easier to prevent problems than treat or reverse them! “The body keeps the score.”
We are all aging, every day. How we age and what our later years will look like – even how many of them we will have – is influenced by now.
i usually joke ot my patients that the “warranty wears out” around age 40. This is a common age for patients to start to notice that they don’t bounce back from sports injuries – or that night out – as quickly as they used to. It’s the age to start check blood pressure and cholesterol, especially in men and those with family history of heart disease.
Your aging has already started. As depressing as that sounds. For some, genetics will play a determining factor in their aging, no matter what action they take. But for most, how we take care of ourselves now is taking care of our future selves. It’s the small things that add up.
Wear the sunscreen.
Take the walk.
Destress and unwind.
Do the yoga.
Get that cholesterol checked.
Add veggies to your lunch.
Set a quit date for that vape or cigarette.
Skip that last drink on a night out.
Your future self will thank you for it.
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