Health

My ambition at this time is to stay healthy. That means lots of exercise and the correct diet. The first part is easy, the second part needs a bit of thought and study. I have four methods of exercise: 1. Stationary bike 2. Weightlifting 3. Lawn bowls 4. Pickleball. These provide strength building and cardio.

Using a stationary bike enables me to achieve as much exercise in 10 minutes as walking does in 40 minutes. Now when I go walking I simply amble along and chat to people. Weightlifting builds up bone and muscle and counteracts the weakness and frailty that comes with aging. Playing lawn bowls combines walking and using muscles as well as socialising and gaining my required amount of vitamin D from the sun. Pickleball is a more mobile sport that provides exercise and a cardio workout. Regular exercise reduces the risk of chronic diseases, lowers the chance of injury and will improve your mood.

Eating the right stuff can be a challenge if you have a sweet tooth like I do. Moderation is the key word there. I’ve done a fair bit of reading on different “diets” and now I eat more like our ancestors did, that is more foods such as meat, eggs, butter, cheese etc. I’ll expand on this in a future article, but suffice to say it flies in the face of modern health protocols.

Exercise and diet have shown to be the best remedy to ward off the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive impairment. Don’t spend what should be your golden years in a nursing home.