What are you doing about getting older?
Yesterday I mentioned Maxine Johnson, now 56 years old and fabulous, as well as Anja Langer, who is 43, I believe.
In contrast, how many women over 40 do you know who have given up the attempt to be physically fit and get their weight under control? I understand the temptation to take the easy way out and tell yourself, "I’m too old to get in shape now. Wearing a size 14 [or 16 . . . or 18 . . . or 24] isn’t so bad." But I think you’re lying to yourself.
A month ago I chatted with a woman who is mildly distressed by her growing waistline but who told me, "I’m 56 years old. What can I do?"
We’re all busy, we have families and church commitments and jobs and whatnot.
But.
We make time to do what’s important to us. We make choices based on our stated or unconscious goals. This 56-year-old–who, incidentally, does not have a day job–has given up the fight.
Maxine is still working toward her best condition ever. In the next couple of weeks I’ll finish a private writing project that examines aging and the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Much of what we think of as age-related–gaining fat (often in new places), losing muscle, losing one’s sense of balance–are more the result of sedentary living and can be combated with lifestyle changes.
If you need a kick in the butt (and who doesn’t?), ask yourself what you’re doing about getting older.
Maybe you’re not 20- or 30-something anymore, but it will never be easier to start changing your life than it is today. The longer you wait, the more you deteriorate and the harder it gets.
If you need very basic information on how to eat better and begin a weight-training program, check out the series of books by Miriam Nelson, Ph.D., of Tufts University. You’ll find a lot of encouragement in Strong Women, Strong Bones, Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis, and other titles in the series. May 19 update: Dr. Nelson has a website and an e-newsletter. I’ve just signed up for the latter and will report on especially good content.
May 25th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
I think women have a distressing tendency to put everyone ahead of themselves. That is one of the big factors in my own circle and in my own life. I am working to conbat that because I do realize that if I do not take care of myself, eventually I won’t be able to take care of anyone else either. And since my youngest child is seven, I can’t afford that for my family and I don’t want it for myself.
I think it is also tempting to blame other factors since as being perimenopausal. I am becoming excited and encouraged as I see more and more women not only refusing to give up but having such incredible results.