12 Stay Young Secrets

D. S. Mitchell

I was standing in the grocery check out line when I noticed a special edition Prevention magazine titled “99 Ways To Live To 100” on the rack in front of me.  I bought the magazine and when I got home the first article I read was “Active At 80+”

The story featured 4 amazing women from 81-87 years of age. Each of the women offered 3 stay young secrets. I thought they were good enough to share with my friends.

Alice Rocky 81: Stay Fit Activity, Yoga. Her “Stay Young Secrets”:

1.) Spend time with people of various ages. Having a broad social network helps you to feel and act younger, it helps you keep in mind that age is just a number.

2.) Recognize that some aches and pains are normal and natural.  It is your body giving you feedback. Listen to it and change , but don’t stop moving.

3) Exercise your brain. Stay engaged intellectually. Volunteer. Do crossword puzzles.

Ruth Heidrich 82: Stay Fit Activity, Iron Woman. Her “Stay Young Secrets”:

1.) Appreciate what you can do, “whether walking a half mile or doing chair yoga, applaud yourself.”

2.) Go meatless. Ruth states it is the most important health change she has ever made.

3.) Focus on the rewards. Exercise improves sleep, lowers blood pressure, reverses Type 2 diabetes, prevents heart disease and osteoporosis.

Florence Meiler 83: Stay Fit Activity, Track & Field. Her “Stay Young Secrets”:

1.) Discover your “thing.” “It can be yoga, Tai Chi, swimming-the key is finding the activity you like enough to commit to it on a regular basis.”

2.) Team up. “Exercising with friends keeps you on track and motivated. The National Senior Games’ motto is ‘Fitness, Fun and Fellowship.’ That says it all.”

3.) Believe in yourself. “We are all capable of far more than we think we are, instead of saying ‘I can’t’ say ‘I’ll try.’ Those words can make all the difference.

Joan Campbell 87: Stay Fit Activity, Swimming. Her “Stay Young Secrets”:

1.) Always have a goal. “It can be anything that motivates you. Goals give you a push”

2.) Avoid scale creep. “If I feel my pants getting tight, I cut my portions. Fish and veggies are my go to dinner.”

3.) Just say yes. “I see daily exercise as an automatic. That way I don’t question it. If I don’t feel like getting out of bed, I motivate myself by thinking how good I will feel afterward, and that always helps me get moving.”

Wow. Some pretty insightful suggestions. I think the information is as good for a 25-year-old as an 80-year-old.

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Dar