I Know I GottA Age, And I Know It’s Vain, But Do I Have To Get Old?

Am I right, people? I mean, I know it’s inevitable. I know time marches on, and with it my youth (if there’s any left) continues to dissipate. I even find it a little scary and frustrating.

I wish I were one of those people who it doesn’t bother. I envy them. One of those who enjoys aging and does it with grace and dignity. No attempts at youth-preserving medicines, no age-reversing procedures, no plastic surgery – just pure bliss with the perpetual ticking of the biological clock (until that final tick, of course).

But I’m not.

I just watched this movie the other day – Act of Valor – seen it a few times. Great flick, in my humble opinion. It starts out with a US Navy SEAL writing a letter to the son of a fallen buddy. In it he writes that his father told him the hardest part of aging was when other men no longer find you dangerous. Perhaps an extreme way of stating it, but it really drives home that point of no longer being your best, losing your edge, weakening, etc. Sure we gain wisdom with age but I don’t think its a sufficient offset.

Enough waxing philosophic, so what to do about it? First, always remember it’s an uphill battle. You are fighting nature. Some of the methods to fight it are obvious, and some less so.

Obvious – diet and exercise. While I am a firm believer that you can find a “scientific” study to back up whatever inane argument might come to mind, I have not yet seen one claiming that eating a lousy diet and expanding on your couch eight hours a day like it’s your job will help you through the aging process. Rather, the opposite seems to be irrefutable. If you eat a good diet and exercise regularly, you are likely to enjoy a higher quality of life than someone who doesn’t.

I’m not saying you’ll outlive the beer-guzzling, chip-crunching couch-potato (you probably will), but I am saying that you will be more mobile, energetic, mentally sharp, etc. than that person. Don’t get me wrong, I loves me a good greasy cheesesteak – especially this one at Woodrow’s on South Street in Philly that is a combination of sliced ribeye, caramelized onions and truffled cheez whiz (right – who ever heard of such a thing?) – but a diet heavy in such foods won’t help you as you age.

I just whipped up some pre-wo (Hypermax by Performax Labs – I’ll tell you about it another time – great rush) and am going to get some exercise in, and the next discussion is a long one, so let’s do it in another segment. Have a good one. Until next time.