In Indian yoga there is an old saying that die young but as late as possible.   Many people may not know that we are now living in the ‘Decade of Healthy Ageing’, as declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2020. Healthy ageing which has the potential to increase not only life expectancy but overall health and wellbeing of an aged person. There are many human races in various parts of the world that are healthy despite of ageing. I know a heart surgeon who was doing cardiac surgeries at an age of hundred years, a ninety year old couple walking uphill without getting tired, a man of eighty four years running every day, my own grandmother who never had any health issue, a ninety year old man doing Tai Chi for hours, a ninety plus year yoga teacher practicing and teaching yoga to the world and so on. This brings me to think why some people are healthy at such an old stage and why age related diseases are not bothering them, why no dementia, no joint problems, no infections, no heart, lung and BP problems.

The purpose of writing this blog is to help you understand human ageing process and what action can be taken to avoid or minimize the impact of ageing on your health so that you can lead a healthy and dignified life totally independent and without depending on others. A healthy happy life when you age is possible and this book is here to train you for that. It will cover areas to understand ageing and various tools and techniques including Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, Japanese Ikigai, Mediterranean diet and role of nature in health and wellness. This book explains the role of various techniques in reversing your age related health issues like diabetes, hypertension, infections, immunity issues, dementia, and joint problems.

The aim of writing this blog is to help you live a healthy and quality life with least dependence on drugs and medical care.

Positive Ageing

The Australian Psychological Society defines positive ageing as “the process of maintaining a positive attitude, feeling good about yourself, keeping fit and healthy, and engaging fully in life as you age”.  Ageing is a natural process which everyone faces during his or her life cycle. The bad news is that ageing brings in many age related diseases making life dependent of drugs and others and the good news is that most of them are preventable and manageable.  The concept of positive and healthy ageing focuses on maintaining a growth mindset or ikigai as the Japanese follow in their life to live a better and healthier life especially in the old age. Age is just a number if you have a positive ageing attitude. 

Research have shown that a positive attitude towards life improves physical and mental health and enables older people to retain their control and quality of life and can live longer. Although many aspects of health are genetic but there are many facets of health and aging are within our control. Ageing has got its own health challenges but with a positive attitude you can keep them in control to enjoy a healthy and quality life.

Although we are partially limited by our genetics in our ability to age healthily, our physical and social environments still play a significant role. We should be able act to change these factors of ageing or improve them with time.

Tips for Positive aging:

Maintain an active life style but avoid overdoing, know your limits.

Sitting is new smoking and increases stiffness, tightness and pain & can take away many years from your life. As we move older, we stop moving our body. Even if you are 20 year old and stop moving your body, you get the same thing, ageing, stiffness, pain, body degeneration and blockages. Movement is the key to health & longevity.

Exercise at least five days a week. Exercise makes you less prone to diseases, improves appearance, delays aging, and reduces chances of lifestyle diseases including heart diseases, diabetes, high BP etc.  Regular and repeated exercise on daily basis is the key to good health as exercises keep your muscles and body shape intact as well as strengthen you sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system which help you in age slow. Now what is exercise and how to do it? Walking, yoga, moving all the joints to keep them active and healthy, climbing, Qi-gong, Tia Chi, dancing, are all forms of exercise.

Keep the child in you alive. Do not over think and keep the child in you alive. As ageing leads to anxiety, fear, depression and loneliness, keep the child inside you active. A child is fearless, happy, no anxiety and no thinking of past and future. Be one and do not care what will happen in future, live in the present. No burden of past memories and no fear of future.   

Change your diet pattern. Your food become medicine, switch to healthy and natural food and food that heals the body and delays ageing. Try to eat homemade or self-made food where you are well aware what is inside and which ingredients are used to prepare it.

Go for community living. Research proves that people who live in communities live healthy and long as the community living help in reducing stress levels and improving happiness level.

Always be ready to help others. Having a helping attitude and helping others will boost the flow of happy and healthy hormones and your confidence level will be up. Whenever you get an opportunity do it and if possible indulge yourself in some charitable activity.