Younger next year?
Today we celebrate my eldest child’s 15th birthday. I can tell you, those years went by quickly and they continue to pick up speed the older I get. My son is now taller than me and apparently smarter since he has an answer for everything. Anyway, it got me thinking about aging and an intriguing radio show I heard on the topic the other day. They were interviewing co-authors, Dr. Harry Lodge and Chris Crowley, about their book Younger Next Year. I haven’t read the book, but what interested me was the notion of a difference between body age and actual age that we control. It reminded me of when I was 25 and went to a podiatrist about foot pain. He told me I had the feet of a middle-aged woman (horrific to hear at the time, now not so much) and sold me a pair of $500 orthotics, which I wore diligently until one broke. I’m not sure my feet got younger because they looked the same in flip flops… But my point is, we know the biological clock ticks for all, and that the impact of those years varies for each of us. For some, like my friend Jayne who has active aunts in their late 90s, there is a genetic predisposition to live long and be healthy. Yet, according to these guys, each of us has the potential to make our bodies younger through a combination of cardio exercise, weight training, diet, and attitude—easy to say, difficult to do. Still, the concept is empowering. As I see the sands of my own life running down, it’s helpful to think I can make my body younger. Okay, so I’m not going to get my 25-year-old body back, but check with me next year (maybe I’ll be 39 indefinitely). For now, I’m off to the gym!