Three Things to Increase Quality of Life

Poor choices are cumulative. Their consequences happen over time. Vision gets worse, poor memory looms, and organs don’t function as well as they used to. Which explains having to pee in the middle of the night.

We think that it’s age. It may be. But what if it isn’t?

Instead, what if it’s poor choices, over and over? The enjoyment of life is compromised because we don’t want to do the work necessary, or believe that it matters.

We sit at computers, dining room tables, and on sofa’s for long periods of time. The body adapts to whatever demand is placed on it. If we become lounge lizards on the sofa, we get good at lounging, but not so good at moving well. It’s all practice. We are what we practice.

Vision decreases because we don’t use our eyes in their full range of motion. We stare in a narrow range at computers, paperwork, and television screens all day. Not glancing into an upper corner or over to a side, we move our heads so we are still looking straight ahead. This does not help the range of motion of our eyes, and our eyes get worse, from non-use. We complain that we can’t see distances, and we stop trying. Too much work. Frustrating. It must be our age, we reason. Not quite. Our eyes get worse because of lack of use. Move your eyes to look up, down, or sideways instead of turning your head.

As for poor memory, reading helps. Television helps nothing (movement wise), unless you are embarrassing and teaching your children by dancing or jumping while watching Dancing With the Stars. Brain teasers, and there are several apps, increase brain function, but of course, you have to use them, not just buy and install them.

About the having-to-get-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night issue? More overall movement helps organs function better, including that pesky kidney.

I could be wrong about all of this, of course; however, you are betting your health, welfare, and quality of life on it if you believe that. Me? I am going to keep moving everything I can for as long as I can. I am betting that I am right about this. So far, so good. Man was meant to move.

That’s Aging Intelligently.