04 September 2013

Milestone

I turned 50 last week. There's a lot of significance attached to that, whether we like it or not. When you turn 40 you figure that, roughly speaking, you've reached the approximate halfway point of your life. Add another decade to that and, on average, most people will be past their halfway point.

Of course there are exceptions. My paternal grandmother lived to 90 and her mother lived to her mid-90s, so genetically I have some longevity in my favor. But the odds are also much higher that one's quality of life in the "second half" will be worse than the first. It's hard not to start taking stock of one's health, and all the things that could go wrong.

I don't smoke and I drink responsibly and in moderation. My blood pressure is reasonably low, my cholesterol numbers are decent (but could be better), and I don't have arthritis or any bad joints (yet). On the other hand, I am lazy and don't exercise. I am slightly overweight, though my weight has been stable for nearly a decade. My father developed diabetes in adulthood, as did his mother, so I have to watch out for that possibility, but I don't have the greatest diet and I snack a lot.

I'm at much higher risk for skin cancer than the average person, so I have to be vigilant and see a dermatologist twice a year. (I hate heat and humidity, so not going outside isn't a problem for me.) Both my grandfathers died of lung cancer; as a child both my parents smoked and I was exposed to a lot of secondhand smoke, before anyone realized how harmful that is.

I could arrange these things on a board in pro and con fashion, to see the bigger picture. My lack of physical activity will probably end up affecting my quality of life in twenty years or so in terms of mobility, and may also put me at higher risk for heart disease. This is serious, and I know I should do something about it.

But today, right now, I feel good. I have minor issues, but overall my health is good. I know people who have had hip replacements before reaching 50, and thankfully I haven't had to deal with anything like that. It's somewhat true that age is not a number but a state of mind; there are things we can't control, and things we can.

Part of me wants to see what would happen if I just kept going the way I am, without making the effort to exercise, but it's not like I'd get a do-over. I guess it's time for me to think about taking better care of myself.

2 comments:

A Proper Bostonian said...

Very wise for you for thinking about this. Most of us should make changes to improve our chances for healthier old age. The easiest exercise is to walk daily, at a non-leisurely pace — not a stroll but as if you need to get somewhere on time. A half-hour or more of that (errands, or walk to a further bus or T stop) over the course of a day will give you health benefits, w/o equipment or a gym. But a pedometer might motivate you; it's worked for me for 3 years. I walk at least 5 miles a day thanks to mine.

You also have a bike and that's even better exercise. Just do it more often. There are two exercises, push-ups and planks, that can build upper-body and core strength in a couple of minutes a day. Just read up on how to do them right and get the missus to watch your form so you don't injure your neck.

As for me, I need to get out of this chair.... where I spend WAY too many hours every day. Just not sitting is probably the most important thing we can all do to live longer. In a word: Fidget. I also need to figure out some more intense cardio I can try that doesn't require shoulders or knees... I'm stumped.

Boston Restaurant Examiner said...

I don't know how much dog-walking is as a benefit, but it adds to the steps. Like Proper Bostonian said, a pedometer is a good indicator of how much you are walking a day. I believe 10K steps are the goal for most. Store things in the basement so you have to go up and down the stairs more. Ask the Missus to park farthest away in the parking lot. Take the longest route. I am not much for aimless strolls, so I like to walk to the store for an item, then walk to the store another day for a different item. Choose stairs over escalators and elevators. Get off the train/bus a stop early.

I believe this is how my dad did it. He kept his weight down and his medical stats OK with little strategies. He had snacks and ate my mom's fried chicken, or had an egg and some bacon in the morning, all in small amounts. He had a beer with dinner and maybe another in front of the TV, but he didn't watch a lot of TV unless it was with the family, and even then he'd wander off halfway through. He had a lot of little projects going, such as a small garden and a woodworking bench. I remember him always standing doing projects or sipping his beer in the kitchen. He'd eat whole garlic cloves for health. He'd walk to the store, the VFW, Dunkin Donuts, the sub shop. He didn't do drive-through. If he didn't get ALS in his 70s, he would have lived a lot longer, just by making the simple choices.

This really isn't much different than that French Women Don't Get Fat thing. Enjoy life, taste everything, just not in excess.

Happy birthday!