…written and contributed by Julia Jones
I used to say “it’s not easy being a girl” but now I say “it’s not easy being a senior”. As we get older, there seems to be more and more things that don’t work as well as they used to. My joints hurt more, my back hurts more, my eyes don’t work like they used to, nor do my ears, and generally nothing is as easy as it used to be.
But there are things we can do to slow down some of this slide. For me, first of all, it was making walking and other exercise a priority instead of something I did when I finished all the other things I would rather do. It was only a few days of this new routine before I found myself looking forward to my walks. It helps if you have either a walking buddy, or in my case, a dog. I was surprised at how much easier it was to get out of bed in the morning. My joints didn’t hurt nearly as much, and I had something to look forward to. Not that I didn’t have other things to look forward to, but it was nice to know what I was going to do first thing in the morning. It doesn’t have to be a marathon, just a little beyond what is comfortable, and each day gets a little easier.
Physical activity at any age is so important if we don’t want to be saying “Oh, I couldn’t do that” when we move into our senior years.
This isn’t just good advice for seniors. Physical activity at any age is so important if we don’t want to be saying “Oh, I couldn’t do that” when we move into our senior years. As I was walking my dog this morning, I realized how much I enjoy just getting out and stretching my legs, enjoying nature and being thankful that I’m alive and reasonably healthy. And physical activity, whether it is walking, sports, swimming, or whatever, is good for our mental and emotional health as well.
For so many years our job has been providing income for our families, caring for them, or making life better for others. As we age, I feel the best gift we can give our children is to continue to look after ourselves and keep our bodies and our minds as healthy as we can for as long as we can. Of course there will come a time when we need them and they will, hopefully, be happy to do what they can for us but let’s make them wait.
In my earlier years, I did a lot of hiking. There is a wonderful feeling that comes from standing on a high point looking over the valleys below. There is awe at the beautiful country we live in. There is also a feeling of accomplishment at climbing another mountain, or even a big hill! Along with that is the sense of gratitude that comes from knowing that our bodies can still do it! It is very reassuring to find that younger hikers are happy to welcome senior hikers on planned hikes. Hiking isn’t just for the youngsters!
I ask myself if there were things I did to help me stay in shape. Probably the first was to keep my arthritis in check, which I have managed to do. Then I discovered the new local gym, Monashee Fitness Centre. This gym has been a real game changer for me and my husband. Another game changer for me has been a book Pain Free by Pete Egosue.
So, what is retirement like for me? I retired at 65, did some hiking, and travelled to third world countries building homes with Habitat for Humanity. When I decided I was a little too old to be sitting on scaffolds cementing in bricks I took a few years off, then at 75 I decided that Camino de Santiago was still on my bucket list so I went to Spain and over 35 days walked 775 kilometres, which works out to between 18 and 30 kilometres a day and I did it without too many aches and pains. I now try to walk 5 kilometres three times a week and a couple of kilometres and a gym workout the other four days. At 82 I’m still taking in the occasional local eight kilometre hike. I do some gardening and some quilting but now I make sure I do my exercising first and do those other things in my spare time. I’m not sure how long this will last but so far it feels pretty good. Be kind to your bodies and hopefully they will take you long ways.
At any age, it’s important to respect our bodies, but the older we get the more important it becomes. I’m not saying that exercise and walking will get rid of all our aches and pains, but anything that we can do to improve our strength and mobility is a blessing in our senior years.
Start young and keep it up! You will be happy you did.
At any age, it’s important to respect
our bodies, but the older we get the
more important it becomes.
Monashee Trail Society 