Debunking the myths that are associated with getting older

Bernard Baruch said, “Old age is always 15 years older than I am.”

Last week, much to my own disbelief, I celebrated my 88th birthday. There is a saying that “age doesn’t matter unless you’re a cheese,” but I’m not too sure about that.

However, I do think that we create our own barriers by believing some of the general aging myths that, until recently, were almost universally accepted. Now AARP and the Agency on Aging have mounted campaigns to fight “ageism,” which manifests itself in the workplace, in our humor, and is evident in whether we have concern and respect for the senior members of our society.

Here are some aging myths that we need to debunk in order to not only accept, but be joyful for the opportunities afforded by additional years.

• Aging Myth No. 1: Your Age Determines How Old You Feel — Focusing on your chronological age can make you feel old when biologically you are still functioning well. Your general health, energy and, perhaps most important of all, your zest for life and new experiences are the determining factors in “ability age,” not the number of birthdays you have celebrated.

• Aging Myth No. 2: Your Body Will Become Frail At A Certain Age — You can increase the strength of your muscles and continue to be independent through exercise and weight training. Walking 30 minutes a day a few days per week can add seven years to your life. Balance exercises that prevent falls are one of the most important ways you can prolong your health and your vitality.

• Aging Myth No. 3: Our Genes Predetermine Our Health — While the gene bank you inherited is fixed, a lot depends on how you live your life. Your thoughts, emotions, levels of stress, sleep and exercise are all altering factors.

• Aging Myth No. 4: Your Brain Is Sure To Deteriorate Over Time — Just not true. Many people think you lose brain cells as you age, but research shows us that areas of the brain involved with memory and learning continue to produce new cells every day. So while you do lose cells, they are constantly being replaced. To help build new cells, the best thing you can do is keep your brain busy with new activities. Learning a new language is one of the best brain builders. Your local senior center often offers foreign language classes, and then it would be fun to plan a trip to visit a country where you could try out your newly acquired skill. Click here to continue reading.