Quantity of Life vs Quality of Life – It’s Your Choice

If you had a choice between living to 100 not knowing what your quality of life would be like or living to 80 being able to completely function on your own, which would you choose? Are you excited about your life? Are you living the best life possible? How would you like to celebrate your next birthday feeling 3, 5, or even 10+ years younger and stronger than you did last year? Disability is not a forgone conclusion when you hit your 70’s, 80’s or 90’s, as long as you start using your body the way it was intended.

The typical over 50 crowd is not looking for the 6-pack abs. They are NOT looking to take up marathon training or extreme sports. The majority of the 50+ crowd is looking to maintain movement and independence for as long as possible and to never become a burden to their family or friends. They want to stay above the disability threshold and continue the functions of everyday life which include driving, living independently, and taking care of themselves. It could mean traveling more often with friends and family and being able to keep up with everyone. It could mean playing golf or tennis. It means being able to keep up with their friends and playing with their grandchildren without pain or fear of not being able to get up from the floor.

If you have not lead a healthy lifestyle up to this point in your life, PLEASE don’t stop reading. It’s not too late to begin your path to health, but you have to start! The old saying “Use it or lose it” is very true when it comes to the aging process. And it is not just working your muscles, it includes working balance, flexibility, your mind, coordination and so much more. They say doing Sudoku and crossword puzzles is like digging a hole with a shovel. It makes you good with Sudoku and crossword puzzles. But using your brain for cognitive strategies (we’ll talk more about this in future articles) is like using a bulldozer to dig a hole.

As a Functional Aging Specialist, I partner with my members to begin their path to health as soon as possible. My own father started working with a trainer in California when he was 85 years old. When he was 89 he broke his hip, but because he worked on his balance and strength, after his surgery he was up and walking without a cane within 6 weeks. His physicians all thanked me for getting him started with training properly at 85.

Now is the time to take action. I can guarantee that you are not getting any younger. It is totally up to you on how you are going to spend the Autumn and Winter seasons of your life. Are you ready to take action? What are you waiting for????

Content provided by Women Belong member Sharan Tash