When was the last time you climbed Glastonbury Tor? The walk isn’t that long but certainly tests your fitness. Can you imagine a time when you no longer fancy walking up it? Or even can’t walk up it? We take for granted our fitness when we are young, it comes easily. Slowly but surely though it disappears until you find that Glastonbury Tor is your Everest.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Growing old is inevitable, the birthdays will keep coming. But, how many birthdays you have and how you age is something you do have control of. And as it turns out, you have a lot of control.
It is probably obvious that someone who is fitter will likely live a longer life but did you know by how much? Let’s look at some statistics. If you compare a smoker against a non-smoker, the chances of a smoker dying in the next 12 months is 40% higher than a non-smoker, this won’t be a surprise to most people. But, the chances of someone who is not fit compared to a moderately fit person is also 40% – the same as smoking! And the fitter you are then the bigger the difference, the longer you are likely to live.
But it is not just the number of your birthdays that you have; how you age is perhaps even more important. Do you want to be fit enough in your 80’s to go to the park to play with your grandchildren? Or scale Glastonbury Tor for the sunrise? You can do that.
You might be thinking that the NHS and medicines will look after you. Yes, this is partly true, they can help you live longer, but your quality of life can still be poor. How many older people do you know no longer go out much, or have a plethora of pills to take each day, or are living in a care home? Do you want to live the last few years of your life in a care home? The financial cost of this alone will be over £100k.
The good news is that it is never too late to start. For most people, there is so much you can do, and over the next few weeks I will show you how.
I will leave you with this thought. You might sometimes see in the news a report of an 80 year old running a marathon. The phrase “good for their age” is often used. I like to flip this around – they should be viewed as what is expected for their age. Glastonbury Tor … bring it on!