Start Where You Are

An essential part of living well and long is a gentle and realistic acknowledgement of things that may no longer be possible but still to do what we can do.

Brody puts it this way: “If the vicissitudes of life or infirmities of age preclude a preferred activity, modify it or substitute another. I can no longer safely skate, ski or play tennis, but I can still bike, hike and swim. I consider daily physical activity to be as important as eating and sleeping. I accept no excuses. And as you can see I still write…”

Help Ourselves

Brody didn’t mince words about how we can help ourselves by getting enough sleep, moving our bodies daily, eating healthy food and not too much, and maintaining a solid and vital social life.  This is where my mind is going now –  the need to make time for these basics. We all know the value of the basics. It is not a lack of information that is the problem. Rather, it is the lack of consistent action. Not for all, I’m sure.  I suspect that you are much better than me, dear reader, but I am ready to turn over a new leaf once again. Sigh.

Dr. Muriel Gillick

This brings me to the second article by physician Dr.Muriel Gillick. Coincidentally, she quoted Jane Brody, too. Between the two articles, I am reminded that it is time to reevaluate my lifestyle to ensure that I am doing my part. The main obstacle I face due to my work is that I spend a lot of time sitting.

Gillick noticed a paragraph in Brody’s article that also  struck me:

Without regular exercise, she opines, “you can expect to experience a loss of muscle strength and endurance, coordination and balance, flexibility and mobility, bone strength and cardiovascular and respiratory function.”  Translated into geriatric lingo, what she is saying is that to preserve function, the ability to walk, to do errands, even to dress and bathe without help, regular exercise is important.

Of course, just like saving money, Dr. Gillick states that much of this work needs to be started when we are young. Of course, when I was young, I couldn’t imagine mobility issues, but my kids can. They prioritize exercise and sleep in ways that didn’t occur to me. I took false pride in how effective I could be without optimal sleep.

Dr Nicole Culos-Reed – U of Calgary

is a hero of mine whom I am privileged to know. Her CV is a mile long, but the short version is this: she is a Professor of Health and Exercise Psychology, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Oncology, and so much more. I know her as a brilliant, visionary and warm trailblazer. She is an action-oriented flag bearer for exercise and cancer throughout treatment and survivorship.

One of her missions is to make exercise the standard of care in cancer centres along with surgery, chemo, and radiation. She is also a beloved, respected, and enduring partner at Wellspring Alberta, where, from the beginning, she created evidence-based exercises in the exceptional Wellspring community designed to meet the needs of those impacted by cancer.

So, all of this is to say that my birthday priority is evident. The fact that it is blatantly apparent to me now increases my determination to do my part—not as a grim duty but as a thank-you to my body for serving me so well for 78 years. In fact, with no expectations, I already experienced a little spark of sweet joy and delight with my efforts early this morning.

Notes

1:) If you are also thinking about this, I suggest you take the first step and the next…who knows what might happen? We can always start again, whatever it is.

2:) Life can change on a dime. This is a tired saying, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Let’s treasure our precious moments—yes, the ones we have right now. Splurge with our words and find small ways to make another’s life better. I just read a small and profound book, Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan, a gift from my son and daughter-in-law and one I highly recommend. The sentence that caught my attention was near the end when I read this – “Was there any point in being alive without helping one another.”

3:) A lovely YoYo Ma Culture Video. Watch it here. This video opens with the following message: “Culture—the way we express ourselves and understand each other—can bind us together as one world.” If you would also like to see the back story, you can find it here.

4:) With lots of thanks for coming by here to spend time with me on this page. May things be as good as possible, and may you have many small joys. Gratefully, Trudy