How To Develop A Healthy Lifestyle for Your Future Self

I was having a conversation the other day with a neighbor who is about 75 years old. He was telling me about some of his recent health issues, he recently had surgery on both of his wrists due to carpal tunnel, has to have hip replacement soon, and now is experiencing new shoulder problems. He said to me “I remember being young like you and thinking I was bullet proof, take care of your health young man.” 

I’ve always prioritized staying active and going to the gym but recently I’ve begun to care more about flexibility, mobility, and living a healthy lifestyle overall. I used to ignore those aspects of a workout, writing myself off as just not flexible, I didn’t think they were important. Now that I’ve realized the  importance, I’ve put more emphasis on practicing stretching and mobility by starting to do yoga, but it’s like I’m starting from zero. Luckily I’ve learned the importance of mobility and taking care of your body about 50 years before my neighbor. I still have many years to continue improving and strengthening my body, so that hopefully when I’m 75 I’ll still be in good health.

I’ve met 60 year olds that need walkers and I’ve met 90 year olds that still walk a mile a day. Your lifestyle now will determine your lifestyle 50 years from now. Of course, there are always circumstances outside of our control that can affect our health, but the majority of the time our health is in our own hands. If you want to live an active and healthy lifestyle when you’re retired then you need to live an active and healthy lifestyle now. For most of his life my grandfather ran every single day, and when he finally got too old to run he walked everyday.

I’ve begun to think more intentionally about my daily habits and how they will serve me in the future. What I’ve found is that it’s easy to think of good habits but harder to actually do them, and it’s easy to unconsciously create bad habits but harder to realize when you do it. For example, I know I should read every day and work out at least 3 times a week but it’s hard to make time and stay disciplined enough to actually do those things. Instead I find myself lying down or scrolling on my phone, because that’s the easy thing to do. My hands are already starting to hurt from how I hold my phone, and I can only imagine what staring at a screen all day does to my brain. When you step back and analyze your daily habits ask yourself, will they make you happier and healthier in the future.

I never thought much about the effort it takes to maintain your health as you age until I started spending so much time with senior citizens. So many of them struggling with different health issues. I don’t imagine my life as an 80 year old much, but when I do I’d like to imagine that I’ll still feel great, be able to live on my own, walk everyday, take care of grandkids, and live a comfortable life. Too many seniors have to cope and live with their pain, but many of us still have the opportunity to change and live a lifestyle that will keep us healthy and pain free as we age. Recognize the opportunity you have and make the most of it!