Page 15 - Seniorstoday March 2022 Issue
P. 15
and respiratory system exercise is also a
great mood booster and supports brain
and spinal health. It is important to do
some kind of physical activity as simple
as carrying your own shopping bags. My
grandmother would get up in the morning,
churn the buttermilk while reciting her
prayers, have a bath and continued her
prayers recitation. By 8.30am, ready
breakfast for a household of 10, fresh
When we age, we lose muscle strength paranthas, fresh makhan and some
particularly we lose fast twitch muscle buttermilk in the summer. The kitchen was
fibres. They are the ones that prevent us her domain. She cooked lunch, afternoon
The best thing about from falling when you catch your foot on tea and dinner herself. Her simple logic
was that all this activity would keep
the step and need to steady yourself fast.
being 50 is that you The net result of all these changes increases her healthier otherwise she would get
our vulnerability to disease as even a small bedridden very fast.
are not 60! fall can result in a fracture, which runs a The trick is to prioritise what we love and
chain of other complications. find interest that requires physical and
Ageing is a fact that many of us don’t want mental engagement. It could be Sudoku,
to face literally. Yet with every tick of the gardening, knitting, cooking – not the usual
clock, each one of us is ageing. To accept dal chawal stuff but something that you
that we are getting old and change your haven’t done before. YouTube is a great
lifestyle is easier said and done. source for recipes. Just going shopping for
Once you understand the process groceries, vegetables can become a mood
of ageing, you can give it into it and changer.
understand what you can and cannot Today, psychiatrists have developed a
control. It is probably the only way to
enjoy the journey of ageing and retain your
independence. Ageing affects every system
of the body and different parts get impacted
differently. There is also an extraordinary
level of variability amongst older people.
No two 60 year olds age alike.
A lot of research is being done to find the
magical anti-ageing pill and as of now there
is no answer but the right supplements
and vitamins help make the journey more
comfortable.
The only answer to anti-ageing is exercise;
it produces beneficial effects and pretty
much everything we need. Exercise
improves muscle strength, cardiovascular
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #33 | MARCH 2022 15
