Age Wise!

A multifaceted approach to living a happy, healthy and fulfilling life after 60.

KEEP MOVING & NEVER LEAVE A PART OF YOURSELF BEHIND

The ‘experts’ all stressed the importance of having physical space and the need to ‘keep moving’ – both physically and mentally.

Physical exercise is vital to keep our bodies healthy and flexible.  More is not better!!  A gentle walk 2-3 times a week, ideally out in nature perhaps with company. Tai Chi has been recommended as the exercise of choice for older people.  It brings benefits to mind body and spirit, gently exercises all your body and stimulates your organs.  Yoga and pilates are also good.  Gentle weight training is also beneficial.

Enjoyable mental stimulation keeps your brain healthy;  learn a new skill – such as a foreign language or a musical instrument to help build new synapses in the brain.  Do puzzles, play bridge, stay curious and question everything. Enjoy conversations, take a course.  With your mind it really is a case of use it or loose it!

Keeping moving through our lives rather than remaining stuck in the past – living in the present,  building a future to look forward to and resolving old issues – are all essential for a vital life.

All the experts said that in transitional stages of their lives they had never left any part of their lives or developmental stages behind – they had remained the same person throughout their lives.  The curiosity and playfulness of you as a child;  the love and nurture as a parent; the love of dressing up.  If you are a sports fan,  your involvement could evolve from participant to coach to spectator – all fulfilling this identity.

If a part of your life was unpleasant or traumatic, perhaps something happened that you are unable to talk about (for example an illegitimate child or illicit affair) it is really important to find a resolution for these,  a way you can incorporate it comfortably into your life.  There is a link between developing dementia and unresolved traumas.  And shutting off part of our lives and associated emotions can have enormous health implications.

The ‘experts’ found their own ways to incorporate lost loved ones into their ongoing lives in such a way that they felt that person was still with them somehow.  These can include visiting a favorite place; listening to music you both loved; engaging in a shared activity; remembering favorite sayings; having conversations with them in your imagination or in prayer, asking for advice etc.

This is also important in the case of loved ones lost, for example, through divorce or disagreements.  It may require a forgiveness (letting go) and reconciliation process;  being able to enjoy again the good times you had together.  It doesn’t require the person themselves to be a part of this process and it doesn’t matter if they have died.  The AgeWise! processes works with you alone initially to find a resolution and let go of the associated emotions; it could subsequently result in a changed relationship with the other(s) involved because you have changed.