My 'Getting Younger' Health Article Series: My Motivation, Process and Goal

I declared war on the aging process as it affects me personally on May 2, 2011. From now on I purpose to reverse aging and get younger rather than older, or at least slow down the aging process. No, I'm not so naive as to think you can turn back the clock and set your actual chronological age back. I'm talking about getting younger from a biological standpoint.

That is what the RealAge program is all about, and why I have made the decision to follow it in order to learn to understand what health care decisions I should be making and then make informed decisions that will help me live healthier one step at a time.

When I became what is recognized as a "senior citizen," one of the things that began to bother me is how much the senior population seems to focus on and talk about ill health. When you are around a group of older persons you rarely if ever hear about how good someone feels, or how enthused about life they are, but rather it is about the aches and pains associated with aging, and about diseases and surgeries.

Besides being depressing, at a deeper level negative talk about the ill effects of aging sets a person up for thinking old. What we think about is the rudder that will direct our future. I can't change any thought pattern in others, but I can change it in me, and I am changing that about how I think about aging.

That is why on May 2^nd I was motivated to take the RealAge test online, and why I am now making "thinking younger" a priority for my everyday thoughts and actions. On Monday (the 8^th) I began a 60 Day Feel Young Program. Better eating habits, monitoring calories, exercise, getting health advice, etc. - all of these and more are now part and parcel of my everyday life.

Besides following the many programs and helps on the RealAge website, I have tapped into LIVESTRONG.com for keeping track of daily calories consumed and my daily exercise program. I've been researching and reporting on other good sites, following and reporting on success stories, and sharing resources for healthful recipes and cooking tips - I will continue to do so in the days ahead.

My motivation for beginning this program was and is to forestall the biological aging of my body. My process as I follow the program is to tap into the many resources that are available to help me establish improved health practices. My goal for my new health program is to keep the "getting younger" concept front and center in my life, improve daily, and report on what I learn to others who find themselves also seeking to forestall health problems in the latter years of life.

I personally want to maintain my health and strength so that I never need to use a cane, walker or wheelchair. I do not want to develop heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or have a stroke. So far I've been most fortunate and have not had a medication prescribed for me for most of my adult life. I feel good, and I'm happy. My main problem is that my sedentary lifestyle that has developed because of my all-day computer usage while doing online writing has resulted in my not enough exercise, resulting in the adding of some pounds that I need to shed.

My journey and what I am learning is being published through a series of articles on my website, R.C.'s Twin Cities Beat. If you are interested in seeing what my "getting younger" journey is all about, here are the articles I have published to date:

May 2: Getting Younger: My Inspiration to Begin, and the First Steps That I Take
May 3: Getting Younger: Becoming Acquainted with My 'Grow Younger Plan'
May 4: Getting Younger: Discovering the 'Waist Loss Tracker' and 'Flatten Your Belly' Video Exercises
May 5: Getting Younger: One Diet Change; Success Stories; Daily Email Tips
May 6: Getting Younger: Adding Three Tracking Tools; a New Success Story
May 7: Getting Younger: Feeling Empowered; Online Seafood Recipes; Email Tips
May 8: Getting Younger: A Convenient Online Food Journal; a 60-Day Getting Younger Plan
May 9: Getting Younger: Saving Calories While Dining Out; Online Snack Recipes
May 10: Getting Younger: My Feel Young Plan; a Resource for Runners; Shopping Lists and Helps

I used this quote on my Very Latest Buzz page on my website yesterday:

"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you." - William James

I'm setting myself up to be very amazed and also gratified about the good health and increased energy that I can and will achieve by concentrating daily on making improvements, one step at a time. As one of my faithful readers (and an exceptional writer) likes to add to her comments: Cheers! :)

Sources:
Personal experience
http://rcjohnsonwriter.com/
http://www.realage.com/