Myth #2 (of 6) Americans Age Normally In this country, we ouuuuu and ahhhhh when we discover that someone is 80 years old or older (unless we happen to be that someone), even if that person can barely get himself up out of a chair or resides in a nursing home. It is always wonderful to see human beings celebrate their lives no matter what their ages, especially our wizened elderly, but our standard for the rate of aging is way too low. According to those experts who study the aging process around the world, our bodies are supposed to last about one-hundred yearsone-hundred yearsand, more importantly, we are designed to feel, function, and move well even in our advanced years. But look around at the people in our modern world. How many people do we personally know who have reached 100 years old? Very few, if any. Of the older people we do know, how do those people feel? How do they look? Are they full of energy? Are they mobile and pain free? Are they enjoying their lives? Or are they suffering from pain, disability, and/or diseases that often lead to early death? Because we are accustomed to witnessing the early decline of people around us, it is logical to think that we age normally in the United States. The fact is that old age hits most of us at an accelerated rate and the shame of it iswe dont even know it. Therefore, we do nothing for ourselves to consciously slow down the aging process and enhance the movement, health, and fitness of our own bodies and minds. The result: premature aging, premature diseases, premature disabilities, and often, premature death. |
