At what age are we too old to do something? Is there an age that is too old and who determines that? Why do seniors often say, “I’m too old for that”, or “I can’t do that, I’m too old”, or other negative comments about getting older. Ask yourself, have you personally said to others or in your own head, “I’m too old to do that”. Why do seniors put the ‘old’ label on themselves and why is age not celebrated as we get older? I remember when I talked with my mom about being upset about turning 40, she said something on the lines of, “You should feel blessed to have reached 40. Not everyone gets to be that age”. And she’s right. What is the alternative to getting older? Every year should be celebrated as we get older. What we need to be doing, is determining what we can do to make life BETTER as we get older. We ALL grow older…we can’t stop it so we might as well do everything we can to enjoy our lives as we age. The most important part is taking care of our bodies.
There are endless articles online about ways to stay younger and the number one answer that pops up for staying young is through exercise. If every person exercised as they aged, people would have more independence and a better quality of life. There would be less diabetes, heart attacks, medical issues, dementia, less medications to take and the list goes on and on. In 2018 stats, 10% of the American population had diabetes with another 20% not aware they even have it. That tells you a lot of diets need to be changed and people need to be more active. We need to ask ourselves, why do we not spend more time being physically active when that is what will keep us young? It doesn’t mean you have to do hard-core workouts. It just means moving more, getting your heart rate up and adding more physical activity into your day. As a retired person, exercise should be the number 1 priority. It often dictates a person's future. If you take care of your body, your body will take care of you. Of course there are situations out of our control, but exercise will lower the chance of developing medical conditions.
These stories below are incredibly inspiring stories of seniors who decided to make a change in their lives. I specifically chose these stories to share because the people in the videos were not athletes, or people who even exercised throughout their lives. They decided later in life that they needed to make a change. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did, and I hope their stories inspire you.
INSPIRING REAL LIFE STORIES:
82 year old, Molly, who started Crossfit
later in life. I’m not promoting Crossfit by sharing this video. I’m simply sharing it to remind you of what seniors CAN do.
99 year old, Nat, who goes to the gym regularly. He doesn't always feel like going but he goes anyway knowing how important it is.
73 year old, Joan MacDonald.
A beautiful and inspiring video.
At the age of 63, Ginny started working out and is now the oldest female competitor on American Ninja Warrior.
67 year old, Pam, who transformed her life. This is an absolutely wonderful, inspiring video of how Pam took charge of her life and completely changed her future. She is proof that it's never too late to change your life.
This story of Arthur is phenomenal (not sure if he’s a senior, but his story is worth sharing). The amount of times he fell would make most people give up, but he didn’t. He is proof that anyone can become stronger. If you are struggling, I hope Arthur’s story will inspire you. The smile on his face at the end of the video is the best part. He is a totally different person from who you see in the beginning.
To finish off, I wouldn't recommend some of the exercises being done in these videos, but I would recommend adopting their positive attitudes about what we CAN do. ️
'Aging is not lost youth, but a new stage of opportunity and strength'.
When you're ready, set some goals, no matter how small (might be 10-15 minutes a day), and stick with the goal. Try to be consistent, but if you get off track, it's okay. Just start again. Every few weeks, re-evaluate your goals. Create realistic goals and build upon them gradually. Remember, slow progress is better than no progress. Stay positive and never give up! When you feel like quitting, come back to these videos to get inspired again. If these people did it, so can you. You deserve to be healthy and happy, and you CAN do it if you set your mind to it.❤️