What is the art of aging successfully?

The lifestyle

My parents are reaching 90 years young, however their lifestyles are completely different. Let me explain…one parent is active, working part-time, and involved in the community. The other parent is non-active, enjoys staying at home and reading books all day. This is not to say one way of life is better in regard to my parents, it’s what they enjoy and what fulfills their life! An issue may arise if a lifestyle choice is non conducive to achieving optimal health, enhanced wellness, and longevity. For example, lack of activity, unhealthy food choices, and social isolation. These are choices that we have within our control, unlike genetic factors which are a “roll of the dice” handed down by our beloved parents (i.e., increased risk of autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular disease, mental illness, cancer and diabetes). Therefore, if we have autonomy to create future positive lifestyle outcomes…then let’s jump on that bandwagon.

When we want to make positive lifestyle changes, we need to examine our current behaviors and what makes us happy. For example, “do I feel good today” and “Am I content with my quality of life”? If the answer is “hell yeah!” then you can skip over this section of the blog…just kidding. But seriously, let us pretend that we feel our low level of activity is diminishing our ability travel and get outside more. Guess what?… “WE HAVE A CHOICE!” Yay! So, step one would be acknowledgment, step 2 is the readiness for change, and step 3…anyone??? Yep, begin the change, whatever that may be. Using the activity example for lifestyle change, we would start with simple and achievable goals. Instead of saying “I am going to start walking 5 miles a day” while I love the enthusiasm and drive, this is obviously not obtainable from the onset. A 5 minute walk, 3 to 7 days a week is more realistic for most people. Moreover, if we start with such large expectations, we may just “throw in the towel or throw up”. This is just one little example of making positive changes. We will elaborate on this in future blogs.

The art of aging successfully is multifaceted, encompassing many dimensions in the aging process. For example, psychosocial relationships, physical state, mental health, financial stability, and spirituality. These components can impact how well we age and how our quality of life will be impacted. In following blogs, we will explore more into these factors, as well as ideas that will help motivate, stimulate, and deeply create the best person we can become!

About the author: Mitch King has 30 years of experience working in the health and wellness field. In the last 25 years, he managed a medical-based wellness/fitness center and has trained over 500 clients. Mitch holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminology, master’s degree in Human Movement/Kinesiology, with a specialization in Geriatric Science, and is a doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology. Mitch is available for online consulting and training.