Old age has its own joys
Long live the time of freedom!
Ekaterina Taranova, <url>Many people are terrified of diseases that are firmly connected in our minds with the lives of elderly people.
Young people expect helplessness, loss of mental clarity, deterioration of vision and hearing, and other troubles from inevitable old age. But is it really that scary? In fact, old age has its advantages.
First of all, the question arises – who is considered elderly at all, and who is old? According to the classification of gerontologists, the age from 60 to 74 years is considered elderly, from 75 to 89 – senile, from 90 and above – the age of centenarians.
In our minds, old age is associated with grumbling and deafness, shuffling gait, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, oncological diseases. But in reality, this has not been the case for a long time. Because usually by the age of 40 people manage to get a bunch of chronic diseases. And from old age itself, in fact, we do not get so many diseases. As a rule, this is osteoporosis, bone fragility, or Alzheimer's disease – a type of senile dementia in which a person loses memory and coordination of movements. However, there are still no grounds for black pessimism. After all, old age is just a certain period of life, and it has its own joys.
It threatens everyoneAging is an irreversible process that applies to any objects – living and inanimate.
Over time, everything in nature wears out. Throughout life, any organisms accumulate external environmental influences and become more fragile. The number of new cells formed to replace the "spent" ones becomes insufficient. This moment is considered the beginning of biological aging.
The course of aging is also influenced by external factors – the environment, food, habits, physical and intellectual activity. A major role is played by the stress factor, the change of habitual living conditions, environment. In the process of aging, a number of organs become smaller in volume. On average, all organs of the body from 25 to 75 years lose 25%-30% of their mass.
The main manifestations of aging are associated with age–related changes in the function of the central nervous system - the mobility of the processes of excitation and inhibition decreases, sensitivity, sense of smell, visual acuity weaken, the upper limit of hearing gradually decreases. There is a decrease in mental activity.
The brain must work!Alas, no doctor will offer a course of prevention of age-related disorders.
No one will prescribe a pill for old age – it simply does not exist. Everyone will have to realize that old age is inevitable.
An effective method for making old age happy, and not painful, is the very way of life of a person. Many offer a simple recipe: an active life without bad habits, with the obligatory presence of a favorite thing. And it really works – centenarians do not "retire" from the profession until the last.
Scientists have estimated that after forty years, people lose about twenty thousand nerve cells every day. But the death of neurons is accelerating due to their inactivity - less and less new information is being comprehended over the years. The cells that turn out to be unnecessary die, and degradation becomes irreversible. But postponing old age is quite realistic. The secret is simple: the brain must work. Everything that doesn't work dies, and the brain is no exception.
People who live an intensive intellectual life, improve their educational level, engage in professional activities, are interested in art, travel and read a lot, use all brain structures. Therefore, their risk of early development of dementia is maximally reduced. Also, medical practice shows that the percentage of senile dementia sufferers among people who lead an active lifestyle is much less than that of their sedentary peers.
At any age, physical activity is the key to health, and a sedentary lifestyle does not benefit anyone. A feasible load stimulates the work of the body and is an excellent prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system, which in old age lead to irreversible disorders.
As such, there is no prevention of senile ailments, but each of us will be able to reduce the risk. To do this, you need, at least from a young age, to take care of your nutrition. A number of products contribute to the activation of the brain – fish, nuts, seeds and dried fruits, liver and eggs, legumes and cereals.
Parkinson's disease develops much less often in people who lead an active lifestyle. Physical activity, coupled with the absence of bad habits, can delay the onset of old age. Positive emotions also play an important role in the prevention of many ailments. And do not despair at the fact that wrinkles appear on your face, and gray hair in your hair. Retirement can be used as an opportunity to live for yourself: travel, play sports, get healthy in sanatoriums.
Happiness is in harmonyCan old age be happy?
Absolutely, yes. Happiness in old age is a state that absorbs all the positive experiences inherent in any age, but complemented by a previously unfamiliar sense of harmony with the surrounding world.
For people who consider themselves happy at this age, the desire to rethink life experience and the desire to update their views is characteristic. Such elderly people are not at all inclined to remember the past with longing. They actively live in the present and even make plans for the future. Living in harmony with themselves and the world around them, they philosophically perceive the idea of the finiteness of their existence. A wise contemplative attitude to life is the basis of a happy aging.
Old age should not be perceived as a period of regression, which is directly evidenced by the results of studying the cognitive abilities of people in the age category of 60-90 years. It was revealed that elderly people not only retain their existing abilities, but also develop a number of new ones.
Also, the behavior of a person in old age is influenced by his individual characteristics. Whether he will be able to successfully adapt to old age depends on his previous life path, during which a system of life values was formed. If a person does not think of himself without active creative activity, then old age does not cause him negative experiences. Even the inevitable weakening of physical strength does not lead to senility, because an active elderly person retains his emotional qualities and mental abilities.
Successful people constructively perceive a decrease in physical capabilities and deterioration of health in old age. Therefore, a person who has lived a life filled with bright events is inclined to treat the manifestations of his own old age and the people around him with more understanding than a bilious loser who turns into a grouch with age.
The feeling of happiness in old age is a natural state of a person, determined by the choice of the right life position. It should be noted that in creating conditions for favorable aging, a great role belongs to the love and care of loved ones, laying the foundation for their own happy old age.
Everything is under control!An important method of preventing dementia and other senile ailments is to control one's own health.
We must not forget about timely attendance of medical examinations. Often, one of the causes of diseases can be neglected chronic diseases and infections. And timely diagnosis and treatment will give much more chances to live an easy old age.
In other words, a healthy lifestyle, regular visits to medical institutions and a positive outlook on life will help to maintain a good mood, clear mind and good spirits even in old age.
In general, research by scientists proves that old age is not bad – our idea of it requires changes. The advantage of old age, first of all, is that many people – often for the first time in their lives – have the opportunity to read good literature, communicate, and walk a lot. Physical and intellectual activity, the consumption of food rich in vitamins, especially vegetables and fruits, optimism and love of life – this is the key to a beautiful and healthy old age.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru19.03.2013