Old Age Can Be Enjoyable
Are you past fifty years of age? Or perhaps even beyond sixty-five years, the retirement age for many persons in the United States? Do you find old age robbing you of the joy of living? Does life seem to be a burden? It need not be so.
When Jehovah God created man, he did not purpose for him to grow old and die. The first human pair would still be living today had they kept on obeying God’s commandments. But due to their disobedience, all their offspring have been growing old and eventually dying. Today more and more people are growing old. In the United States, there are some 22 million who are sixty-five years or older; in the past century, their numbers have doubled. But they are not living longer.
What does such a person face? Can old age be enjoyed instead of merely being endured? One of the most important factors in enjoying old age is adjustability. This adjustability primarily has to do with three spheres of activity: physical health, economic sufficiency, and mental and emotional well-being.
Good Health by Exercising
Although not exactly indispensable to enjoying old age, good health can greatly contribute thereto. To enjoy good health in old age simply means to adjust by giving more thought to it than one has been accustomed to doing. But that does not mean being a hypochondriac (suffering from imaginary ills)!
The matter of getting sufficient exercise is important. A ten-year study of 8,500 middle-aged folks showed that sedentary workers had three times as many heart attacks as manual workers. Yes, often physical exercise makes the difference between enjoying life at seventy and being burdened by aches, pains, and boredom at the same age. No matter what your age, you can improve your health by exercising. There are many kinds, such as walking and swimming, which can be more or less enjoyable. But whether enjoyable to you or not, adjust to exercising more—doing so, of course, gradually.
Getting Proper Nutrition
If you would enjoy old age, you must also give thought to nutrition, both as to quality and as to quantity. The more common heart diseases are largely blamed on a faulty diet, usually a matter of eating too much, especially fats and sugars, accompanied by insufficient exercise. Two out of three persons over fifty in the United States are overweight. And no question about it, being overweight does shorten life!
Studies show that old persons tend to get more starch and sugars than they need but not enough protein, vitamins, and minerals. There may be several reasons for this. Foods containing these important elements cost more than other foods. These foods also are likely to require more preparation, and old folks often do not like to bother preparing meals just for themselves. Then again, they may have poor teeth, which interfere with their chewing of certain foods.
Old folks need to adjust their diet, for since they are less active, they need less carbohydrates and more vitamins and minerals than before. Highly recommended therefore are such things as unpolished rice and whole wheat for their vitamin and mineral content; yogurt, partly because of the body’s need for milk and partly because it is so easily digested; wheat germ for its vitamin E content, brewer’s yeast for its vitamin B, and molasses because of its copper and iron. Taking added vitamins is recommended by some but not by others. So why not experiment? If you find they help you, keep taking them.
Also, it is good counsel to avoid eating and drinking foods that are either too hot or ice cold. Let foods return to room temperature before eating them if you had them in the refrigerator. You may also find a little wine an aid to digestion.
Rest and Sleep
To enjoy good health in old age also requires giving thought to sufficient rest and sleep. While you may be getting enough rest, you may not be getting enough sleep. In fact, old folks often are light sleepers. For long it was thought that old folks need less sleep than do young persons, but there seems to be some evidence that it may be the other way around.
Of course, not all people need the same amount of sleep. Such factors as hormones, nervous temperament, and the nature of one’s activities have a bearing on how much sleep one needs. If you are having difficulty getting sufficient sleep, you might ask yourself the following questions:
‘Am I tense all day long?’ If so, you will likely have trouble sleeping. Learn to relax during the day. ‘Do I keep active right up to bedtime?’ If so, you will have trouble unwinding and getting sound sleep. Slow down after supper. ‘Do I drink strong tea, coffee, or cola drinks?’ Such drinks do interfere with the sleep of many people. ‘Do I eat large meals late at night or things hard to digest, such as French-fried potatoes or freshly baked bread?’ Such things can be a burden to your stomach and may keep you awake. ‘Do I worry about not being able to sleep?’ There is no surer way of staying awake than that. Do not chafe over the problems of the day but count your blessings. ‘Do I get irritated easily?’ A disturbed frame of mind could well make you wakeful. Try to be less sensitive. By making such adjustments you will enjoy better sleep and better health.
Among the positive things you can do to induce sleep is to take a warm or hot bath before retiring, or a drink of warm milk or herb tea; some find a glass of beer or wine to help induce sleep. Others find that a massage given them by another member of the family helps them to sleep. According to heart specialist White, taking a long brisk walk in the evening will help more than sleeping pills. Sound sleep helps you to enjoy both your nights and your days more.
Economic Problems
To enjoy old age, you must also learn to make adjustments in financial matters. Usually, there is less money coming in. Today many businesses retire their employees at the age of sixty-five. Finding a new job is not easy, especially in these days. Even when not retired there is often a reduction in income because of being less productive. At times there is no pension, because of having moved from job to job or because an employer went out of business.
So, in a situation like this, one must learn to adjust to more modest living habits, such as shelter, food, clothing, and entertainment. Especially is a problem when it comes to food—to be economical and at the same time get sufficient protein, vitamins, and minerals. Coleslaw contains a lot of vitamin C and may be more economical than oranges. Peanuts, soybeans, cheese, and eggs are economical sources of protein, and do not overlook oatmeal. In its awareness of this problem, the United States Department of Agriculture has published a booklet, Food Guide for Older Folks, which shows how essential foods can be bought at low cost.
Mental and Emotional Factors
Among the most serious obstacles to enjoying old age are unwise mental attitudes and negative emotional patterns. The introvert may well have a harder time of it—even as he did all his life—than will the extrovert.
Those who have exercised self-control and discipline and learned wisdom will find it comparatively easy to make the adjustments that old age requires. However, those who have pampered and indulged themselves will most likely be physically, mentally, and emotionally ill-equipped to adjust to the restrictions that old age brings with it, and to enjoy it. Now in their old age, they will have to begin to learn courage, wisdom, and humility.
The restrictions that old age brings do present problems, especially to those who do not want to face the facts. Some reject the idea that they are growing old and try to carry on as fully as they did when young. Others let themselves become discouraged, depressed, filled with self-pity, or even bitterness. Still, others may put themselves on a pedestal and make demands because of their being old. All such attitudes are most unwise. Appreciation of daily blessings will help you to stay clear of such pitfalls. Look forward to the blessings of each day and learn to find joy in little things. Take pleasure in a sunny day, or the beautiful clean snow, or the refreshing rain.
Each period of life has its own blessings. The mere fact that in old age you cannot enjoy many of the things you enjoyed in youth is no reason for self-pity or discontent. Thus, a poet once said:
“For age is opportunity no less.
Then youth itself, though in a different dress.
And as the evening twilight fades away,
The sky is filled with stars invisible by day.”
Old age does have its own blessings. “Gray-headedness is a crown of beauty when it is found in the way of righteousness. Old age has a beauty of its own. One has had the opportunity to learn, to experience a great deal, and to reach a vantage point because of what one has both suffered and enjoyed. Youth is impetuous, impatient, overeager, romantic, has illusions, and is often impractical. But with age one learns to be more patient, to be more realistic, to see things as they really are, to be practical. Old age can have a mellowing effect, enabling one to have more empathy.
Appreciate such blessings as you have. Be grateful for life itself, for the measure of health and strength that you have. Mere freedom from pain is grounds for gratitude. And be content with having the needed material things to sustain life.
Helpful also is having a sense of humor. Readiness to laugh is good for the body itself as well as for the mind and heart. In fact, one noted physician said that laughter “is the best exercise of all” because of what it does for the internal organs.
In particular, will having something useful to do help you to enjoy old age. Remember, “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.” You can get happiness from being helpful to acquaintances, friends, or relatives.
