Strength Training

We want to be strong enough to open pickle jars and pick up grandchildren. We want to dance the samba and feel confident that our bones won’t break. When we do laundry or get into low cupboards we want to squat like pros and save our backs. And what’s more, science tells us that more muscle mass prevents falls and produces immune system and brain helping chemicals. Weight lifting is the key to keeping/making muscles and bones strong. We at Ageless Conversations think it’s so important, we put it first. We even roll out of our warm beds at the crack of dawn and do it three times a week.

Core and Balance

I (Leslee) have never had a six pack in my life and you will never see my navel. But I AM determined to walk steadily with great posture and not fall for the next thirty seven years. Engaging and training our core stability muscles (we like to say “zip up from your hoo-hah to your belly button), and practicing balance will allow our hundred year old selves to strut around confidently. Falling is the number one cause of death for seniors. That’s a horrible and frightening statistic. But when we lose muscle and bone mass, have a weak core, and become unsteady, we are much more likely to fall. And when we’re in the hospital with a broken hip and get pneumonia, our immune systems aren’t strong enough to survive it. If nothing else, this is a critical reason to step up our full body fitness. P.S. Sometimes we do this along with our strength training three times a week, or sometimes we do it as yoga on the weekend.

Aerobic exercise

Healthier heart and lungs. Better moods (I’m talking to you, cranky old people!). More stamina, strength, and energy (I swear my constantly moving 94 yr old neighbor outdoes everyone on the street!). Better sleep, sharper brain, stronger immune system, weight management etc etc etc. I could go on listing things, but I think we all get the picture. If we’re not out there walking, playing pickle ball, swimming, dancing, just MOVING, we are losing out on absolutely critical and life saving benefits. That’s why the two oldest staff at Ageless Conversations went on a thirty minute walk around our local pond yesterday when one of us (Leslee) felt so neuromuscularly tired she felt like mostly dead, half run over roadkill. We try to fit this in two days a week and on the weekends.

Nutrition

We have not yet addressed this, but rest assured, we will. You already know that what we put in our bodies matters. Chances are you’ve heard about staying hydrated and you have a nice water bottle, but do you really have to give up your daily Coke? Guilt creeps up on you when you eat a sleeve of Oreos in one sitting or skip out on veggies for too long, but you need sweets in your life and you hate broccoli. You heard your grandson talking about getting enough protein, but you’re not sure what that even means. Too much of the information and hype out there was overwhelming to us, so we’ve found simple and uncomplicated ways of eating healthily. We will share all our knowledge and research with you.

Mental and Emotional Health–(arguably the most important things of all)

In the book “Outlive,” Dr. Peter Attia says that longevity is meaningless if your life and/or relationships suck. He says “...the most important ingredient in the whole longevity equation is the why. Why do we want to live longer? And for what? For whom?’” When we do what is necessary to take care of ourselves cognitively and emotionally, we have a purpose for living. We can savor the present and look to the future with plans and dreams instead of ruminating on the past. We at Ageless Conversations are no strangers to depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline, either from our own personal experience or from caring for loved ones. We don’t take it lightly, and we plan to give you everything we know or have learned from research to help you clearly and happily face your aging years.

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