As we get to a certain age the ‘gracefully’ word starts slipping into the vocabulary of our peers and others. Although it seems to be very gender focused. Women are encouraged to age gracefully but men not so much. I’m not really sure what it actually means. Is it about throwing out the hair dye, giving up Botox, stepping away from the shots? Or is it more about slowing life down? Taking up gentle pursuits. Preserving our degenerating bodies with lots of rest. Keeping our minds active with multiple crosswords.

Men as well as women are subjected to the ‘take life easy, you’ve earned it’ messages. They remain strong in our western society even though the weight of evidence to do the contrary is ever increasing. I have a particular interest in the issue. Not just as a 62 year old female but as a former nurse and midwife, a qualified PT with an additional qualification in exercise for the older adult. I’m the strongest I’ve ever been with a fairly good level of fitness. Not bad for someone who use to bunk off PE at school. For if ever there is a time to embrace physical activity and exercise it is in our later years. 

If we don’t use it we will lose it. As we age our muscle mass degenerates. A process called sarcopenia.  Strength training can slow this muscle loss down. Possibly even reverse it. This is so important if we want to continue to live an independent life. But before we enter the twilight years where the challenge is to not fall over and to be able to get up from the toilet unaided there is a lot of living to do. And most women, and men, want to spend those years looking and feeling good (muscle gives us shape), having a purpose, ticking off the bucket list. Is this graceful or powerful ageing?

I’ve just read a fascinating book ‘Move – the new science of body over mind’ by Caroline Williams. I’d read an article she’d written for The New Scientist on the importance of movement for our mind. Scientists are increasingly of the view that the brain’s primary role is to assist our bodies when they move. This was essential to our ancestors if they were going to hunt down food, fight of predators, find a mate to reproduce. Movement requires us to think, reason, predict.

Of course, our 21st century lifestyle doesn’t require us to move that much. We can get food delivered, I can’t remember when I was in fear of being eaten alive, and even finding a mate can now be done online. Unfortunately the evolution of our bodies is going to take thousands of years to catch up with our modern day experience. Consequently, as each generation moves less it becomes weaker, the average IQ lowers  but at the same time mental health issues increase. 

The book makes reference to the sea squirt a small marine animal. In its larvae form it has a simple  brain and a basic nerve cord running along the length of its body. It spends the first brief period  of its life swimming around the ocean looking for a place to settle where it matures into its adult form where it will spend the rest of its life. Once settled its nervous system is absorbed. If it is not moving it becomes redundant. 

Whilst the similarities between us and the sea squirt aren’t that obvious  it is a great example of how important movement is not just to our bodies but to our minds. 

I intend to spend my remaining years exploring, experiencing and being curious. To do that I need to move, stay strong, and cultivate an enquiring mind. Fortunately I love being active and exercising. I particularly love weight training. Progress can be slow. It has taken me two years to get from a 110kg deadlift to 115kg.   But progress is progress however slow. And I’m mindful that I’m bucking the downward trend where my muscles are concerned. As well as weight training I do HIIT, another proven go to in our anti-ageing  arsenal. Neither of these activities would be considered gentle. Instead they are powerful, ballistic. Exactly what we need to keep our bodies vibrant. Throw in a lot of walking in nature and the occasional jog I’m hopefully doing all I can to maintain the the body and mind that is going to get me through the next couple of decades.