Health & Longevity

Recently I traveled to a small town in B.C. to visit my 94 year old mother in law who has terminal cancer. Now, her life story is an incredible one of survival and adventure as she first escaped Russians in Estonia, and later the Germans as they took over this small country in the Second World War. She endured many courageous events following all of this, but I must fast forward to how she has been living her life recently.

She moved to the small town in B.C. when her son built a house close by, and she obtained an apartment in a senior's complex. For those of you who think exercise is difficult, imagine a 92 year old heading out daily with her walker and doing 4 km come rain or shine! As she put it, "I just can't sit around and drink coffee like the other people there.” She also knew that exercise was important for her physical health, let alone enjoying the emotional aspect of getting out for some fresh air and not being confined to a building. Her walking program has been part of her life for as long as I've known her. When she used to live in Guelph, she would always head out and hike trails if she could or sidewalks when she couldn't. What always impressed me was that she made no excuses. Busy or not, tired or not, she walked.

The doctors in B.C. debated giving her palliative radiation recently, but because of her strong musculature and dominant personality they felt she could withstand its effects. And she did! When we were there, in spite of unsteadiness due to radiation to her brain, she would walk 20 times around the main floor as part of her persistent exercise routine.

It got me thinking that this is how I want to be as I get older. I do not want to be an invalid. I want to be moving and certainly not spending my time sitting around, but out enjoying nature and being physically strong enough to visit my family or take trips. Most importantly, I want to try to maintain good health.

Why is it then, that most of us make excuses to not exercise? We know the benefits. It doesn't take much time, yet we put it off despite the fact that it's probably the most important thing for long-term good health.

Try to see yourself 10 years from now, 20 years from now or 30 years from now. How will you feel? What will your energy be like? Are you enjoying life? Will you be active? Can you travel if you want to?

Don't put off your health. Yes, eating well is a major part but activity is just as important.

If my mother-in-law found the time to walk throughout her life, and can still do it in spite of widespread cancer at the age of 94, then there should be nothing holding you back. Move! Just move! Do it for your joints; do it for your heart and lungs. Do it for your brain and your emotions. Do it so that you will have a vibrant future. Don't put it off.

You can do it. Don't ever give up!

Dr. Doug