Healthy Aging for Baby Boomers
Do you want to live to be 100? The Centers for Disease Control reports that Americans currently have an average life expectancy of 77.9 years. This has risen from 49.2 years at the turn of the 20th century. The aging of the Baby Boomers also means that we now have a larger group of people age 65 and older. If you’re going to live a long life, you probably want to be healthy until the end. I know I do! How can you make the most of all your years and stay as vital and healthy as possible?
Dr. Andrew Weil says that optimism is a key to healthy aging. A healthy diet is another important component in long-term health. Of course, exercise also makes a big difference in keeping your body, and mind, healthy.
One factor that is often overlooked is how posture contributes to long-term health and well-being. Kathleen Porter, in her book Ageless Spine, Lasting Health, has a wonderful chapter called “Amazing Grace” showing the difference between people with healthy posture and those with unhealthy posture. Those with healthy posture (“Balanced”) are from less industrialized parts of the world. (You can find her book at http://agelessspine.com).
She mentions that the common motto of “use it or lose it” is not the full story. Rather, it’s HOW you use your body that makes all the difference. Even athletes who use their bodies all the time get lots of injuries in the US. While it is important to exercise and move your body regularly – walking is a simple and easy way to start – how you move makes a difference in your comfort, energy level and health.
Kathleen has some incredible photos in her book of people in their 70’s, 80’s and 90’s who still look straight and strong, with a sense of grace. While we all had that healthy posture up until age 3 (in every country), in the US we’ve lost this natural alignment. The good news is – you can relearn this!
When your body is aligned with gravity, with the vertical axis, you can rest on your bones and allow your muscles to relax more. Your spine can begin to lengthen, and you may even regain lost height. Your skeletal structure will be better able to support your inner organs. You can reduce back and joint pain and have more energy.
To get started, come to one of my free, introductory workshops on the Balance Method. I’ll show you some fabulous slides and teach you the easiest way to start changing your posture – by changing how you sit (visit www.sonomabodybalance.com for details). If you can’t wait that long, check out my blog post on healthy sitting at http://www.sonomabodybalance.com/blog/2009/12/10-tips-for-pain-free-sitting/.
So to stay healthy throughout your life, use your body, and pay attention to HOW you use it. You just might make it to 100 and still be going strong!
