Do You Know Where Your Grandparents Are Tonight?
Probably having more fun than you!
As a senior, people have many pre-formed ideas about us. One is that we can’t do anything athletic. I have six medals for completing half marathons and one for participating in a soccer tournament. People usually ask which son I coached. They couldn’t fathom that I could have been the participant.
There are, of course, seniors with disabilities. But that goes with the general population as well. If you look, you will find numerous individual or group sports you can participate in.
Look around and find what sounds good to you—armchair yoga, anyone. If, as a senior, you do have disabilities, they don’t need to define you. As we age, we may lose some things, but our mind doesn’t necessarily need to be one of them.
Muscles
The adage ‘use it or lose it’ certainly applies to the brain. Is the brain a muscle? No. The brain is an organ. So, while you can’t exercise your brain, exercising is good for your brain.
The brain weighs about 1 pound at our birth and up to 3 pounds in adults. It’s mostly grey and white matter with just a little muscle. It’s made up of 60% fat! Now you know what they mean when they call you a fat head! Just say thanks.
Exercise
If you hate exercising, you won’t keep it up after a well-meaning resolution at New Year’s. Exercise, however, is more than just sweating it out at the gym. There are so many forms to choose from.
Warning — despite what the Sports Program directors say on TV, poker is not a sport! (It is a great way to stimulate your brain. You just need some other forms of exercising to go with it.)
Think about dancing. Moving your hips to the tango may lead to another exercise later if you’re lucky!
While I may not choose to do ballet any longer, tap dancing is still a fun and exciting exercise I like. The moves those seniors can do will blow your mind. Watch the Challenge on YouTube, Gregory Hines — “Tap” — The Challenge Scene.
Movies
Recently the movie 80 for Brady came out, starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Sally Field, and Rita Moreno. Their ages are from 76 to 91 years old. Four academy award winners. Still able to make us laugh after all these years.
One of my group of friends is from nursing school. Since Covid, we decided to send a group email every Monday to one another (there are 6 of us) highlighting our week. Since 2022 we’ve gone out to lunch for each other’s birthday. Now it’s every month: so much fun and so much laughter.
Next week we will go to late lunch and the afternoon matinee of 80 for Brady. Another fun movie to watch is Finding your Feet. It is in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel style of movie. As of 13 July 2018, this film had grossed $16,881,861 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful independent British films of 2017 and 2018. You can google it and see all the ways to watch it. These movies make you laugh. Hard. That in itself is an exercise. Extra points if you go with friends.
Being Carefree
One of the benefits of exercising at our age is that you don’t care if you look foolish while learning a new skill. So what if I trip while learning to foxtrot? Hopefully, your partner will be strong enough to keep you upright.
How do I feel if I am the last person to cross the finish line while I run? It doesn’t matter because I don’t care. The fact I can go running is enough of a benefit for me. Crossing the finish line is a bonus.
Running for the sheer joy of it, not for a fashion statement.
Have you seen me run? It’s not a pretty sight, but I don’t care. If you don’t like what you see, don’t look.
I don’t feel the need to impress anymore. I dress for comfort when I am exercising. When I am dancing, well, watch out. I wear beautiful high heels and sexy dresses.
Being retired, you can choose when or if you want to attend class or just go outside. Did you try the mamba, and it’s not really your thing? Stop and try something else.
Since I turned 70, I have paid $11.50 per month at our local recreation center. I attend Aquafit classes 4 x week, which is included in the fee.
Aquafit
Last September, I went to the pool at our rec center with my friend. She wanted me to join in the deep water aquafit. I had tried it in shallow water and said I hated it. I would swim lengths while she did her class. She said just come once and support her. Of course, I was hooked right from that first class. I loved it, and there’s no impact on your joints. Great for runners.
One Last Benefit
As we get older, our vision usually declines. There is always a silver lining, though. So do I use my magnifying mirror any longer? Not likely. I am getting better looking each day. My wrinkles are slowly fading, and the fact I am constantly losing my glasses is a benefit.
What exercises do you do to have fun? Let me know.
