{"id":20395,"date":"2017-06-12T13:11:48","date_gmt":"2017-06-12T20:11:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medicalfitnessnetwork.org\/public\/?p=20395"},"modified":"2017-06-07T13:43:04","modified_gmt":"2017-06-07T20:43:04","slug":"healthy-aging-decades-youth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medfitnetwork.org\/public\/all-mfn\/healthy-aging-decades-youth\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthy Aging by the decades: Your youth"},"content":{"rendered":"

I believe that when we celebrate our birthdays,\u00a0we get to reflect on what we have accomplished in our life so far\u00a0\u2013 and have become \u2013 as a result of the choices we have made over the years. Fitness for me was always a choice that was a \u201cgiven\u201d \u2013 one that I am truly\u00a0grateful I never had to think about making because it was \u201cwho I was\u201d on the inside.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I have to thank Jack LaLanne for this idea. He\u00a0was\u00a0a role model for me\u00a0due to his\u00a0great success: he passed away in 2011 at the age of 96 and was training right up until the end. He was an inspiration to generations of people \u2013 especially those of us who were able to see him when we were children through his TV show. He was the father of the fitness industry and throughout the course of his long life demonstrated to all of us why choosing a\u00a0fitness lifestyle is\u00a0so beneficial and helpful to living a purpose and fulfilling life, as well as following one\u2019s dreams.<\/em><\/p>\n

He created birthday celebrations throughout his life that showed that \u201cage is truly just a number\u201d and he received much in return in\u00a0the form of the lives that he touched (like mine) and helped\u00a0influence \u2013 and inspire \u2013 in the years that followed. I am one who can say that I carry his legacy within me and owe him a debt of gratitude for inspiring me to live the best life I could \u2013 physically, mentally, and spiritually. I celebrate getting older now in the way Jack did \u2013 by the years and decades of my life. I also remember to share what I have learned\u00a0in order to help\u00a0those coming of age behind me that becoming older\u00a0can be a\u00a0good thing \u2013\u00a0to be celebrated \u2013 and not feared. But how can you prepare for\u00a0this perspective<\/em>?<\/i><\/p>\n

The decades of our life\"\"<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I would like to share with you some of the\u00a0thoughts on the decades of my life to\u00a0help you see your own aging process as a gift to be embraced and treasured. Starting with my youth, the first article of this series, I will guide you through the most significant lessons I have learned and applied in my own life so that you can prepare for the decades to come. I intend to be like Jack when it comes to celebrating my birthdays\u00a0by inspiring people of all ages to be the best that they can be \u2013 living lives that are rich and filled with all the good things that life has to offer.<\/p>\n

What I learned\u00a0in my\u00a0youth<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The time when we are children to the time we graduate from high school are the pivotal years of our lives. During these years we learn from our parents, teachers and friends \u2013 and other significant people \u2013 that we have value. In making our choices during this time of life we are confronted with many uncertainties and questions and if we find something within us that gives us strength to choose our path \u2013\u00a0we tend to become healthy and fit.<\/p>\n

The challenge during this time is to arrive at some form of value system that we can adopt and that works for us. If parents are encouraging and can set the right example we can become committed to fitness through sports programs or other activities that inspire us to learn about teamwork, cooperation and support which will\u00a0serve\u00a0us for the rest of our journey.<\/p>\n

Through my swimming training and competition on Maui before the age of 10 \u2013 and later through Little League on Oahu \u2013 I learned the value of focus, discipline and commitment to my sport. This understanding became a part of my mental makeup and served me well over the years by giving me the strength to rely on my own \u201csense of self\u201d and love for being active.<\/p>\n

Take time to reflect on the children in your life\u00a0and how they are being influenced by the world of technology to NOT be active. What can be done to inspire them toward appreciating their body and helping them develop the important skills that I learned\u00a0in my own youth? We owe our best efforts to help this generation (my grandson\u2019s) not become the first to die before their parents, as President Clinton said may happen if we stay on the path we are on. But how?<\/p>\n

Some suggestions for a healthy youth<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The suggestions below are\u00a0specific to the problems I have observed in the USA but some can be applied elsewhere:<\/p>\n