Getting old isn’t for the faint of heart.
Mae West
While it’s true that being young has its advantages. There are a few things about getting old that are actually pretty awesome. It’s good to remind yourself once and while of these things.
The first good thing about getting old
This one should be obvious – you’re not dead!
Number two
In most cases, with age comes some amount of wisdom. There are, of course, some people who might not appear to have learned over the years, but it’s a safe bet that for most of us at least we know a bit more than we did when we were 20.
Number three
Grandkids. If you had kids and those kids had kids, then you’ve survived the hard part. You’ve arrived at the part that’s all the fun and so much less of the b.s. you went through raising your grandkid’s parents.
Number four
If you’re a woman of a “certain age” workouts like HIIT are actually NOT recommended. (At least that is what Chrissa Benson said on IG – that she wound up on my feed is nothing short of diving providence in my opinion). Not only do you not have to feel guilty about not sweating your tail off jumping around like an idiot, you actually can say that as a wise, well-informed woman, you’re taking care of your health by walking, strength training and doing yoga. How liberating is that?
Number five
Getting enough fiber. Welcome to the years when this is really important, and guess what… carbs have fiber! Of course, I’m not talking about white bread and that nonsense, but who wants to eat white bread anyway? (Unless it’s homemade.)
Making sure to get enough fiber through whole, unprocessed grains, fruits and vegetables is key. Following something like a Mediterranean diet beats the heck out of the no-fat craze of the 90s (who remembers Snackwell’s? Don’t even get me started on olestra! ) or going carb-free on any number iterations of that diet. I’ve heard rave reviews about how much weight people lost going carb-free, but all it ever did for me was make me tired and insufferably snaky.
And a bonus thing
While, I speak only for myself, I’ve found the older I get, the less of a crap I give (not for lack of fiber) about what other people think. Their opinion of my clothes, my weight, my looks, my whatever is no longer a big deal. I am who I am, and I can walk into a room without the icky “Are people looking at me?” feeling that plagues many teenagers and young adults. I’m at the age where I’m fairly certain no one gives two rips about what I’m doing, and if they are looking – let em’ look. I probably have toilet paper stuck to my shoe or something, but the good news is, I don’t care.