Читать книгу Making The Right Move - Gillian Eades Telford - Страница 14

Aging is a beautiful, normal process. Aging successfully means living a long and healthy life. It is a personal task steeped in choices. How you act and how you think can to a large degree determine how well you age. By optimizing your strengths and compensating for your disabilities, you can overcome the challenges life throws at you.

Everyone has the capacity for change, no matter what age they may be. You are not in a process of inevitable decline, and you can be as active as you choose to be. Modern aging studies show that old ideas about aging are largely inaccurate. For example, it is not normal to be stiff and have trouble walking. Inactivity or illness causes this. Studies show that two-thirds of the signs usually attributed to aging are the result of disuse or disease, while only one-third is actually due to aging itself. In fact, normal aging does not result in slower, less efficient physical, mental, or spiritual activity.

Our motivations and actions are largely influenced by three factors: the body, mind, and spirit. The balance between these three can be delicate. Like Mrs. Stein, you may be vulnerable to physical, psychological, economic, social, and environmental challenges. For example, the pain and discomfort of disease may result in depression. Retiring from work may leave you with very little disposable income. Physical inactivity may prevent you from pursuing a social life, making you dependent on people coming to see you. This can lead to isolation and loneliness. You may be at risk of falling because of environmental hazards and adverse drug combinations. By consciously trying to balance your body, mind, and spirit, you can to a large degree reduce the effect of these challenges.