Aging is a slow, insidious process
Aging is a slow, insidious process, so that maintaining health and well-being over time calls for adaptive strategies. What works for many years stops working and one has to act, adapt, reflect and be decisive. For a long time my routine was straightforward: gym three time a week, cycling, long walks and plenty of fresh air whatever the season. I have a chronic condition (chronic prostatitis) which in its acute form causes hideous infections and serious trouble in the water works. Treatment is exhausting doses of antibiotics, and rest. Recovery then demands very moderate exercise and hydration non-stop.
However, with aging, the recovery time extends, to the extent of making the routine unpractical. So a healthy day now includes moderate exercise, short to medium walks, hydrating more systematically, napping at midday, avoiding exertion but nonetheless too much rest is bad news: keep moving! This of course is a very different strategy: forget about two hours in the gym lifting megatons!
Many changes
Do I miss that time? Frankly I did for a while and hoped that somehow things would go back: there is no way this can happen. Other consequences of aging include a changing sex life (also affected by the condition and its treatment) and the psychological effects. A strategy to handle those changes has to be sensible, engage one’s partner, and taking the time to read and revisit what people have written on the subject.
Well-being is a matter of psychological and physical balance. Continued well-being when one approaches “old age” is even more demanding in having to question past habits, diet, drinking, sex and dreams. I am now into lavender (a nice way to fall asleep) and plenty of water, avoiding sugar, added vitamin C and Zinc. It works for me, it may not for others.
Adapting
A key question is how to continue tuning and adapting when things become more difficult. A good example is hearing, but it goes also for sight, teeth and other issues such as skin and bones. My hearing was deteriorating as I was still practicing regularly at the gym, and then, I was blaming the loud music (why do gym owners feel compelled to bombard their clients with such noise?), so that I started wearing ear plugs.
Later on I realised my hearing was beginning to cause me real problems, in conversations, when driving, eating out. So that I have invested in hearing aids, which I am learning to use: this is indeed a challenge, as this technology does affect the way one perceives the environment, noisy or otherwise. Patience is key. Aging also means spending more on one’s health and well-being.
Medication
I have recurring joints pain, which started some way back, and which I treat with dichlophenac (Voltarol in the UK), again a medication I used when long range cycling. I rarely use pain killers, I suppose my own relatively high pain threshold helps (?) Overall learning to deal with all this, declining vigour, lower energy, need for longer recovery… requires patience.
Golden side
Is there a golden side to this condition? Yes indeed, there is, and this helps to manage and find inner resources to cope. First of all more time is now available for spiritual work, contemplation, prayer, the art of understanding. Besides, I read more than ever, still enjoy walks with my partner, good food and nice beer, and continue to admire women’s beauty, in art, in films, in the street.
One word of warning though: what works for me at present may not last, and furthermore may not work for you reader! Similarities in this domain of health and well-being are dangerous!
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is evident that the journey towards sustained health and well-being is a continuous one. Aging poses challenges that require us to adopt adaptive strategies. What may have worked in the past may no longer suffice, necessitating our ability to act, adapt, reflect, and make decisive choices. By embracing this mindset, we can navigate the slow and subtle effects of aging, ensuring that we prioritize our overall well-being for years to come.
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