This morning I overheard a conversation among a group which was a litany of reasons as to why aging is an inevitable downward spiral. The truth is that we weren’t created to blossom early and then spend the rest of our lives withering away. The more we learn about aging, the more we know that a sweeping downward trajectory is grossly inadequate. The path of our aging is not written in stone or even in our ancestry. We have the potential to grow older free of disease and disability and to function well both cognitively and physically.
The reality is that there is tremendous variability in how we age that primarily stems from lifestyle choices and attitude. Even if certain health conditions run in our family, there is much we can do to break those patterns. For most of us, a healthy lifestyle trumps inherited risks. In fact, the majority of the ingredients that predict longevity and good health are within our control.
Given the impact of our choices on the way in which we age, it serves us well to examine our daily choices and see if they align with the quality of life we want to experience not only today, but in the years ahead.
