Did you notice in the
news last week that the latest census shows Canadian retirees and
soon-to-be-retirees are the new up-and-comers? My older friends and I may be aging, but we will have
lots of company.
The next big group to
look out for are the centenarians. Thanks to improved lifestyles, this group of
super-seniors is now proportionately larger than at any time in Canadian
history, and is expected to keep increasing. With any luck at all, we could be celebrating our 100th birthday,
too.
With that in mind, I
listened with interest when my husband reported on a radio interview that he
heard while travelling back from Toronto the day that the census data was
released. A geriatrician had been offering advice about exercise for achieving
longevity.
Bruce boiled the
physician’s formula for life-long-fitness down to three types of exercise to
be undertaken as one ages: aerobic exercise for the first 50 years, weight bearing
for the next 25, and exercise for balance and flexibility from age 75 on.
Wow. Who knew it was so easy? And consider the implications
for those of us past 65.
We are well past our aerobics best-before-date. Whoo Hoo! Does that mean I can stop trying to run on the
treadmill? (My knees and bladder will be
absolutely delighted to heed this advice.)
As for lifting weights—which I do several
times a week—is there a more boring exercise?
Even if I break up the sets into smaller units, I am forever losing
concentration and wandering off to check email or put in a load of laundry. At least I only have six-and-a-half more years to go.
But taking up qigong, tai
chi and yoga sounds like a breeze! Finally,
I have something to look forward to as I contemplate my 80th decade. And I’ve already banked a few hours of qigong
postures. It feels like I’ve started the
homework before the assignment has even been given.
So get with the
program, folks. Join a tai
chi class! Take up yoga! Because my
fondest hope is that we can blow out 100 candles together.
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