Hey Julia, you’re singing my song and many thanks to the doctor - she speaks the truth. As a health and wellness and life coach, personal trainer and fitness specialist I have seen more than you can imagine in terms of people who have abused their bodies. Of course, I have no space to brag having been brutal on my body in what would have been termed, “healthy ways”. I was a competitive body builder back before people had common sense when it came to body building.
I am now, 30 years later, continuing to rehab the body I tore apart being oblivious to the harm I was doing.
But, here’s the good news: I was able, you are able (and doing), and so is anyone else who desires it, to change our habits and begin to do what will enhance the rest of our lives. It really is not too late … but it’s expensive. It costs time, diligence, determination, discipline, commitment, honesty and deliberation. Oh, and that’s just before you start. But it’s so worth it.
Health-span -- such an important concept. And there's so much we can do. I know you live the big adventures with movement, my movements are smaller. But today I did two walks totaling forty minutes and I swam for a half an hour. I'm blessed to have a diet that's been pretty much protein and veggies for decades now, and I love to be in nature. This is my health regime. Not extreme and kind to these grateful old bones. Life is good. I love that I always learn something from your pieces, or at the very least, nod along with a smile on my face. Big hugs.
Thanks for this Julia. I’m out in South Africa visiting family and elderly parents who are in this position. A lifetime of unhealthy, damaging choices and sadly now the consequences which are awful and distressing, especially for my sister and I who have to listen to the familiar refrain of ‘growing old is not for sissies’. No it isn’t but you have so much more agency than you realise and outsourcing everything to medical doctors who supposedly know it all, makes me see red. Especially as a psychologist who knows how much the mental and emotional side of who we are has a profound impact on our overall health. Your insights remind me that I’m not the only one banging on about self agency. 🤗
Thank god so many of us are, Gaby. The good news is that so many smart, wonderful people are writing about it, so while none of us gets to be THE EXPERT, the expertise we glean from so many terrific voices is fabulous. I love SA. Spent plenty of time there, dove the Sardine Run, fell in love with so many places.
Are you living in Madagascar with a long-term plan to stay? Is there an immigration pathway? Hoping for an option of which you have embraced. Well done and Cheers! Jean
I do adventure travel, Jean, so Mada is one of 47 countries I've visited over the last fifteen years or so. Not interested in living there, but I am researching other options. I live in Oregon. Just sharing photos where they are relevant. Thanks so much!
Thanks Julia. Love the vicarious travel you’ve gifted me!
I live in CA and grateful I had international travel in the past—but now I am feeling stuck. I’m even selling my RVan in fear of national travel. I’m protesting, calling, writing in the resistance, but the inhumanity has me physically immobilized. Thanks for listening.
Fantastic rallying call, Julia! And your photos from Madagascar illustrate the story of living a healthy life.
Three years ago this summer, I had a quality-of-life-saving spinal stenosis operation. Despite living an active, normally healthy life, my body responded to aging by ceasing to carry all the invisible burdens. The terror I experienced pre-op as everything started to go wrong, badly and quickly, is something I never want to feel again.
It has taken the past three years to recover and get back to (for me) acceptable levels of strength, flexibility, stamina, weight, pain.
With that also came the realization that this is the rest of my life: I *have to* schedule more time for movement, sport, strength and balance training, at the cost of other things. I have reduced alcohol and sugar consumption (at the cost of annoying my spouse occasionally, and turning down opportunities quite often) because I feel better with less frequent and smaller foodie blowouts.
If I want to enjoy the years I have left and do what brings me joy, these changes are necessary. It's not just a phase. But as Nurit commented, it is so worth it.
Hey Julia, you’re singing my song and many thanks to the doctor - she speaks the truth. As a health and wellness and life coach, personal trainer and fitness specialist I have seen more than you can imagine in terms of people who have abused their bodies. Of course, I have no space to brag having been brutal on my body in what would have been termed, “healthy ways”. I was a competitive body builder back before people had common sense when it came to body building.
I am now, 30 years later, continuing to rehab the body I tore apart being oblivious to the harm I was doing.
But, here’s the good news: I was able, you are able (and doing), and so is anyone else who desires it, to change our habits and begin to do what will enhance the rest of our lives. It really is not too late … but it’s expensive. It costs time, diligence, determination, discipline, commitment, honesty and deliberation. Oh, and that’s just before you start. But it’s so worth it.
So very true. Perhaps the best part of this, Nurit, is that we can indeed reduce or even repair the damage we've done.
Health-span -- such an important concept. And there's so much we can do. I know you live the big adventures with movement, my movements are smaller. But today I did two walks totaling forty minutes and I swam for a half an hour. I'm blessed to have a diet that's been pretty much protein and veggies for decades now, and I love to be in nature. This is my health regime. Not extreme and kind to these grateful old bones. Life is good. I love that I always learn something from your pieces, or at the very least, nod along with a smile on my face. Big hugs.
Thanks so very much Stephanie!
Great wake-up call. It's difficult watching all of these sleepwalkers headed for that cliff edge. All we can do is keep shaking them!
Thanks for this Julia. I’m out in South Africa visiting family and elderly parents who are in this position. A lifetime of unhealthy, damaging choices and sadly now the consequences which are awful and distressing, especially for my sister and I who have to listen to the familiar refrain of ‘growing old is not for sissies’. No it isn’t but you have so much more agency than you realise and outsourcing everything to medical doctors who supposedly know it all, makes me see red. Especially as a psychologist who knows how much the mental and emotional side of who we are has a profound impact on our overall health. Your insights remind me that I’m not the only one banging on about self agency. 🤗
Thank god so many of us are, Gaby. The good news is that so many smart, wonderful people are writing about it, so while none of us gets to be THE EXPERT, the expertise we glean from so many terrific voices is fabulous. I love SA. Spent plenty of time there, dove the Sardine Run, fell in love with so many places.
That’s wonderful! Had such a giggle when I saw that Jane is also South African. 🇿🇦 what synchronicity - the world is indeed a village!
This is such a critical topic - one we don't talk enough about!
Are you living in Madagascar with a long-term plan to stay? Is there an immigration pathway? Hoping for an option of which you have embraced. Well done and Cheers! Jean
I do adventure travel, Jean, so Mada is one of 47 countries I've visited over the last fifteen years or so. Not interested in living there, but I am researching other options. I live in Oregon. Just sharing photos where they are relevant. Thanks so much!
Thanks Julia. Love the vicarious travel you’ve gifted me!
I live in CA and grateful I had international travel in the past—but now I am feeling stuck. I’m even selling my RVan in fear of national travel. I’m protesting, calling, writing in the resistance, but the inhumanity has me physically immobilized. Thanks for listening.
How are you doing?
Fantastic rallying call, Julia! And your photos from Madagascar illustrate the story of living a healthy life.
Three years ago this summer, I had a quality-of-life-saving spinal stenosis operation. Despite living an active, normally healthy life, my body responded to aging by ceasing to carry all the invisible burdens. The terror I experienced pre-op as everything started to go wrong, badly and quickly, is something I never want to feel again.
It has taken the past three years to recover and get back to (for me) acceptable levels of strength, flexibility, stamina, weight, pain.
With that also came the realization that this is the rest of my life: I *have to* schedule more time for movement, sport, strength and balance training, at the cost of other things. I have reduced alcohol and sugar consumption (at the cost of annoying my spouse occasionally, and turning down opportunities quite often) because I feel better with less frequent and smaller foodie blowouts.
If I want to enjoy the years I have left and do what brings me joy, these changes are necessary. It's not just a phase. But as Nurit commented, it is so worth it.