Let’s ponder that for a while. What if aging was simply a story we’ve been told from generation to generation? What if our attitudes and beliefs about aging were the keys to staying vivacious and healthy?
Harvard Professor Ellen Langer conducted a study in 1989 with men in their 70s and 80s:
- One group lived as if it were the 50s when they were in their prime – including TV shows from that era, pictures of themselves in their twenties and thirties on the wall, magazines from that time period, etc.
- One group lived away from their daily routine, without reminders of what life was like in their youth.
Before the study, the men had tests for hearing, blood pressure, eyesight and pulmonary function. They also had their picture taken.
Two weeks later, these tests were repeated:
- The men who had lived as if in the era of their prime looked on average 10 years younger! Their hearing, vision, lung and other functions had also improved dramatically! Plus, they had a greater sense of well-being.
- The men in the other group showed no change.
Our thoughts and beliefs hold incredible power. This power is in our hands, if we choose to use it. That’s the beauty of life. We get to choose how we want to live it.
If you want to change this myth of aging, change your thoughts and beliefs about it. And if you start moving your body every day, it’ll speed up the results you get. Our bodies age mainly because we STOP enjoying life. And we STOP moving. As the years go by, we move less and less. We spend most of our days sitting down. And as the saying goes, “Use it or lose it”.
So START moving your body. Every day. I love to start the day with a one-hour training program that ensures I move every joint and work every muscle. Later, I go hiking in nature or on a long walk, or I do another outdoor activity. When you train, you make sure your body is prepared to handle whatever activity or sport you want to do.
If you change your thoughts and beliefs about aging, you’ll find you have more zest for life, more energy, more vitality, and more love and joy to share with others. You’ll find that passion for life again.
I’m turning 60 in October and I’m healthier, stronger, fitter, and happier than I was in my twenties. I plan on living and enjoying this life to the fullest until the very last day.
How about you?
– Sylvie Grégoire