Is Age Really to Blame?

When it comes to aches and pains and getting older, I hear so many people blame their age. When asked about their aches and pains, the classic answer is "What do expect, I am getting old!" But is age really the reason for all of those sore body parts?

I say NO and here is why. I have met many people and worked with clients in their 80's and beyond who act, sound and feel no differently than someone in their 50's. I call them the "young at heart."

My own grandmother was mobile, clear headed and independent until she died at age 95. She cooked her own food, did her own laundry and participated in DAR and other social events until the end of her life.

So if age is not the real cause of aches and pains then what is? My grandmother believed that feeling good was the result of pursuing two important habits each and every day.

First she believed that a proper mental attitude was essential to feeling good and remaining healthy. Even on the days that she was not feeling her best, she consciously shifted her thinking and focused on all the positive events in her life rather than the negative ones.

She believed that giving thanks and thinking about all the wonderful things that were "right" was a much healthier approach to life and helped her body feel better. It turns out that recent research supports her belief.

Science has shown that people have less aches and pains when they carry a more positive attitude towards their life. Your attitude and the way you think changes the hormone profile in your body making you less sensitive to pain.

Her second belief was remaining active in a constructive way was the staff of life. She also had a clear understanding of the concept of "use it or lose it." Just about every day she would participate in some type of exercise activity.

One day it might be gardening, the next cleaning her house. She also had a series of exercises I had given her that she practiced every day to keep her muscles strong and joints loose. All in all, she maintained a strong, balanced and mobile body that served her well.

The moral of the story? If you are not feeling well, there is something you can do about. To quote and modify an old saying, "You CAN teach an old dog new tricks." I know this because I have seen it with my own eyes and have helped people do it.