Spring has Sprung

After a long, miserable, cold winter it’s heavenly to feel the sun warming up everything in its path and green beginning to appear on lawns. At long last we can make the best of the good weather by exercising outdoors. When it’s not raining, of course. But why complain? All that rain will mean flowers very shortly in areas where they have not yet come to life.

            It’s no accident that spring is the time dedicated to improving health through exercise. May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month when people, especially older adults, are encouraged to exercise to build up bone and muscle strength. Lifting weights targets bones in the arms, wrists and upper back, while aerobic exercises like walking and dancing benefit the legs, hips and lower back. But bones also need vitamin D which is triggered by sunlight and promotes the absorption of calcium. We should all spend ten minutes or so every few days in the next few months exposing arms, legs or back to sunshine before splashing on the UV protection. Of course, vitamin D is also available as a supplement.

            May is also a month dedicated to older adults, a good time to look at other benefits of regular exercise. We all know that being active not only reduces the risks of heart disease, stroke and diabetes, it also protects memory and thinking skills while reducing brain fog experienced by so many of us as we age.

           A study at the University of British Columbia concluded that regular moderate intensity exercise increases the volume of some brain regions. The study showed that aerobic exercise boosts the size of the hippocampus, an area of the brain for verbal memory and learning. Another benefit of exercise is that it reduces stress and anxiety which often contribute of cognitive impairment. Something to keep in mind when we consider that a new case of dementia is detected every four seconds globally.

            Spring is here at last, so there’s no time to waste. Let’s step outside and enjoy the new season. Happy Spring.

Plogging Anyone?

Now that spring is finally here, it’s time to rediscover the pleasure of walking, or jogging for those who still do, and see the beauty all around. That beauty can be in the tiny flowers that are starting to blossom or simply the newly green ground all around us.

            However, after the snow from the long winter has finally melted, the world we see as we walk is not always pretty. There are candy wrappers, disposable coffee cups, crumpled plastic and paper bags, and all other manner of trash people simply did not bother to dispose of properly. Like me, I’m sure you’ve seen people throwing garbage out of the windows of their car as they drive along, most of the time fast-food wrappers or paper cups. They could not be bothered to wait and throw it in a proper trash can or recycle it.

            There is a new craze to clean up this garbage which is called plogging. Originating in Sweden, the activity involves joggers picking up litter as they go along. But why not clean up the environment while staying fit by simply walking? And it is something we can do anywhere with our grandchildren to show them that we can all do our part for a better and cleaner environment, and teach them that rubbish impacts animals and our water supply.

            Why not also think of plogging this summer along shorelines while vacationing. If enough people get involved in cleaning up the environment, surely more and more people will be shamed into follow suit.

            Of course, you need to be prepared for plogging. To protect yourself, gloves are a must. Gardening gloves are ideal. Also you should carry a reusable and washable shopping bag, compostable bag or other small receptacle.  

            Happy plogging.

           

Creativity and Happiness

Being creative in our senior years can make us happier, according to research.

For example, The Creativity and Aging Study conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts and The George Washington University determined that older people who pursue creative projects such as writing, painting and music have more self-esteem while having better overall health and being happier.

Who doesn’t want that as the years pile on?

Research has shown that creativity fires neurons that create connections to make the brain grow as it ages. And creativity results in more life satisfaction. Award-winning author and poet Piero Rivolta, 77, who rededicated himself as a writer after a successful business career says he wishes more people pursued creativity sooner.

According to Rivolta: “You really need a sense of purpose as you get older with seemingly less to do.” And creative pursuits such as art classes are also a great way to connect socially. “... whether you’re sharing ideas, the gift of your talents or just time together, it makes for a much happier existence.”

There are many examples of older people who did not let age stand in the way of their creativity. Oscar-nominated screenwriter Millard Kaufman wrote his fist novel Bowl of Cherries at age 90. Benjamin Franklin was 78 when he invented the bifocal lens. Frank Lloyd Wright completed the design of the Guggenheim Museum in New York at 92. And Giuseppe Verdi wrote the acclaimed opera Falstaff at 79.

We only need to follow a road that brings us enjoyment rather than worry about the number of candles that will decorate our next birthday cake.

That’s always my quest!

Time Goes On

When I talked to a family member after he recently underwent surgery, he told me everything went well except perhaps for his surgeon. “The guy was about twelve years old!”

            I knew exactly what his exaggerated observation meant. It seems that those who are coming after us look younger and younger all the time. I mean, we all remember the turn of the century, don’t we? That was not so long ago, at least not as far as I am concerned, yet those born in 2000 are now adults. A bit scary, don’t you think?

Time goes on for everyone.

While we feel some people look too young to actually work in their given profession, many of us are always trying to look younger than our birth certificates attest to. The options available to us are forever growing, from expensive potion and injections to surgeries. But I still maintain that if people “redesign” their faces too drastically facial recognition software, which it seems will be everywhere soon, may fail to recognize the person it was made to recognize. And then what about aging features? Is facial recognition software built to take into account the aging process? I mean, what if you can’t start your car because of new wrinkles near your eyes? Or because an ugly wart has just sprung on your nose?

And what about if you have a bad cold with red eyes and a runny nose?

And what about fellows who decide to shave their beards?

So many questions, so little time!

A couple of days ago I ran into an old acquaintance who told me he would be celebrating his 70^th birthday in a few weeks. Then he asked: Do you think I look older or younger than my real age. Vanity, oh vanity, no matter the age! Of course I told him he looked a good six years younger, which made him smile with satisfaction.

And I thought only women were desperate to look younger than they really are!