It is winter time, not too long after the holiday season, and so many people - myself included - are in the midst of some bad habits.
Yes, most people want to really tighten up over the next few months and get into shape for the warm season to come. Mostly, people want to look good for the swimsuit on those trips to the beach, or at parties or backyard barbecues.
However, staying fit is not just a fair weather kind of thing. It grows more important the older you get, and it is not just about looking good, either.
When I was younger, I remember hearing about the aches and pains that older adults would mention, and my assumption was that, somehow, I would find a way to navigate those harsh waters, and stay healthy and fit and energetic far longer.
But life has a way of waking you up to grimmer realities. I can mention the problems of varying degrees of frequency and severity that I have had to grapple with, and the list is longer, even far longer, than it used to be. There have been issues with sciatica, and that is no joke! Indeed, nothing can make you feel as instantly old as pain in your back or legs or hip that stop you dead in your tracks. Headaches used to be far more common, but every now and then, I still get a doozy. You can watch yourself deteriorate, slowly but surely, whenever you look in the mirror. More lines, more gray hairs, or perhaps less hairs in general.
And that is not the worst of it. Indeed, for me, the constant fatigue, the sheer difference in energy and enthusiasm, frankly, from when I was much younger (and it really does not feel like all that long ago) to now, is not only startling, but alarming. Sometimes, I feel that adulthood has been a one-way ticket to all sorts of things. Yes, you gain better perspective, perhaps even wisdom (unless your name is Donald Trump, of course), but you also feel things in a less pronounced way. Things that used to excite you no longer do, Food tastes more bland, and you do not get the same sheer pleasure from eating things the way that you once did as a child. It seems that all things, even good things, sometimes feel like they are much more detached than they ever were before, and it feels like a dulling down of sensations.
For any younger people reading, this probably sounds like a real bummer of a post. I do not mean to be a Debbie downer, or anything, but this was the reality, as I experienced it.
That is not to say that life cannot be exciting, even invigorating. But the packaging is completely different as an adult.
Physically, you need to take care of yourself. There is a steep price to pay if you do not. And although I have personally fallen into bad habits in these last months in particular, my intentions are to get back into a tighter discipline, especially indeed as spring comes, and walks and hikes and outdoor activities become a bit friendlier, easier to access and enjoy.
Ran into two links that seemed worth sharing on this note recently, and so here they are. Good information and tips for everyone, but especially people who are aging fast:
9 Surprising, Everyday Things That May Be Bad for You By Cari Nierenberg, Live Science Contributor | January 4, 2018
10 (Not So) Harmless Habits That Age You It's time to kick those bad habits and feel younger. Sleep and sunscreen are just some of the solutions. Gretchen Bossio BY GRETCHEN BOSSIO DECEMBER 19, 2017:
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