The Secret I Wasn't Told as a Kid About the Dichotomy of Aging

Hey Team,

I am writing this article on a clear sky Saturday morning and reflecting on my grandmother-in-law, Mary. She had a difficult time almost a year ago as the candle was running out of wick, and the light was slowly getting dimmer. If anyone knew "Granny," they only had the kindest words about her as she was a pinch of salt to the earth. As a family, we wanted to honor the Matriarch of this family by allowing her to stay in her own home… these were her wishes. We took turns staying with her as she needed 24-hour assistance. She mainly would sleep at this time, but occasionally she would wake, request a couple of items and then bless us with some good conversation. Due to the cognition difficulty and fatigue… we cherished these last moments of clarity and dialogue. So, as I sit here with my dog at my side, I am caught in a whimsical moment of reflection. This reflection is about the dichotomy of aging. 

What is your "PRIME"?

When we are born, we know absolutely nothing. Nobody is born a carpenter, doctor, electrician, or engineer. These are the things we learn along the way. But, in life, we tend to collect knowledge, learn through our failures, and log these into our "life experience" to use for later. In essence, we gather wisdom. The exciting part of gathering insight is that we can't purchase it; we cannot download it or find a shortcut. You must experience it! Also, in life, we are born with loads of energy. Think about the kids running around your neighborhood; think about yourself as a kid-  so much energy. As a kid, you have so much energy you can waste it. There is never a thought of saving some for later… you go as hard as you can until you fall asleep. But what happens with age? We tend to get more tired. We tend to start to lose our energy. We slowly become more fatigued, go to bed earlier and settle in for the afternoon nap. Moreso, we tend to look for opportunities to conserve energy. We brainstorm if we should space out our activities as we don't want to get too tired. So, in our youth, we have no "wisdom" and all energy, and when older, "wisdom" is high and energy is low. Essentially, we can evaluate the "PRIME" of our lives based on the crosspoints of these two metrics. Your PRIME is the time in your "midlife" when your energy is relatively high, and your wisdom has grown!

How To Extend the "PRIME OF YOUR LIFE"

We can see the "Prime of Life" as the cross point when wisdom and energy are high. So, how do we extend this? What are the variables necessary to extend your Prime? Well…enhance wisdom and energy, but how do we do this? Let's start with energy.  

Top Tips to Extend Your Energy

The amount of energy in our body is predicated on how much energy we make… or consume. As we age, our metabolic efficiency declines; in essence, we do not have as much reserve. So. How do we increase energy?

1.     Strength Training to Add Muscle Mass:  Picture the more skeletal muscle we have, and the more fit our body is, the more we move easily. The effort/energy it takes for a healthy-bodied 25-year-old to walk 3 miles will differ from an 83-year-old. Essentially, the more fit you can keep your body and the more skeletal muscle mass you can maintain as you age… you will extend your ENERGY…. Thus increasing your PRIME!

2.     Eat More Nutritious Foods:  Eating foods packed full of nutrients will increase all efficiencies of the body. Adding green leafy vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids, and more protein to your diet will increase your metabolic efficiency and energy levels. Omega 3 fatty acids and turmeric have consistently reduced inflammation in the body.

3.     Drive down inflammation:  Excessive circulation of blood sugars in the body creates inflammation in the vascular and metabolic systems. Repeated circulating blood sugars in your vessels will generate inflammation in the body and damage arteries, nerves, and essential organs. Plus, you are more prone to metabolic diseases such as diabetes. Intermittent fasting is one example of how to keep circulating blood sugars lower, thus reducing inflammation. 

Top Tip to Extend Your Wisdom

Unlike energy, wisdom is not something you can conserve or make more efficient; it is only something you can acquire. Again, you cannot purchase or download it… you must experience it. How do you do that? To gain wisdom faster, a cheat code is to take it from the older generation. Actually, you don't have to take it… they will give it away if you're willing to listen. Reflecting on our time with Granny makes me smile to realize all the wisdom she has passed down to me and my lovely wife. One of the best parts of her wisdom has been perspective. My wife was her caregiver for six years. She developed a loving friendship with Granny and intermittently asked for advice about her life circumstances. Granny had the best way of putting current events into perspective. But truthfully, our oldest living generation has the most wisdom. If you want to extend your PRIME, you increase your wisdom quicker by spending time with the oldest generation. Go visit your "granny," volunteer at an assisted facility or talk with your neighbor. If you ask good questions, this generation is a wealth of knowledge!

Overall Team. Do you want to extend your Prime? You should! Having the most wisdom and high levels of energy makes life enjoyable. You can make a difference in these areas; the effort to do so can be manageable. Small changes today will create the most out of your day tomorrow. Eating nutritious foods, staying hydrated, increasing your fitness, going for daily walks, or avoiding inflammation-producing foods are all small steps to take to get started. If you are uncertain how to change your life to help extend your PRIME, feel free to contact me today. I love receiving your comments and questions; they are some of the best parts of my day. Thank you. Keep Moving!

• The author, Rob Sumner, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and owner of Sumner Specialized Physical Therapy. He's happy to answer any questions about this article, wellness, fitness, or physical therapy overall by phone at (509) 684-5621 or by email at Rob@SumnerPT.com