My grandmother was born in 1901 and lived to be 101. If she were to have told you the secret to her long life, it would have been that she took care of her mind, body and soul. With the cost of rising health-care in today’s society that can be a challenge.
In the United States, the cost of health-care is certainly a big issue. Prescription costs have gone through the stratosphere. Keeping up with the cost of living is making it increasingly harder to get any treatment. Many people are either underinsured or uninsured.
One way to foster the idea of longevity is to prevent any illness before it starts. Everyone is in a tailspin right now because of the H1N1 virus alert. I certainly remember the Swine Flu scare from 1976 and waiting in long lines to get vaccinated. We can protect our health by taking health precautions and maintaining a good level of mind and spirit in our bodies.
We can all start immediately at ground zero as our baseline. If we don’t need a doctor in our current state of health, make it a point to work and pay it forward to a healthier mind, body and soul. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Get regular checkups- Most health plans include a provision for an annual physical if you are over 50 usually cover dental visits as well as eye exams.
- Exercise regularly- Exercise and fitness are a major factor in living longer and is emphasised all the time. Grandmother always took the advice of the the nurse-practitioner at the senior centers she frequented and would do
her exercises at home in front of the TV!
Stretching body muscles for as little as 30 minutes a day will stimulate your metabolism. Gardening, bike riding and mowing the lawn are all forms of exercise. Sunlight provides Vitamin D to your body, so getting some fresh air is important to your well-being.
- Play a few games- Have you heard of neurobics? It’s the newest medicine for your brain. Neurobics trains your brain to create new synaptic pathways and prevents degeneration. By playing Sudoku, word searches, memory games and doing the New York Times crossword puzzle, those neurons will be kept in tip top shape. There are many CD’s on the market that you can use, or listen to a book on tape when you commute.
- Enjoy Me Time- Whether it’s morning meditation, yoga, spiritual worship or listening to your favorite CD, any activity that you choose will cultivate your inner soul. Consider it your personal time to renew your body and mind.
Hopefully I will have inherited some of my grandmother’s good genetic material. I don’t know whether I’ll be on this planet for 101 years like she was. What I do know is that I don’t want to hasten what time I have left because of an unhealthy body. Inorder to see many tomorrows, take care of yourself today.
Photo Credit: Fitness Ball rjlerich
Cindi is the author of Moomettesgram’s Musings where she offers WAHM tips, Moomettesgram’s Favorite Recipes, and Mama Mentor where she shares her personal musings and observations of a Baby Boomer Wife, Mom & Grandmother from New England. Follow Cindi on Twitter.
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Cindi Matthews
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