You hit 40 and there’s that
slight slowing down in everything that you do. If you’re lucky, it’s so slight
that you don’t even notice it. Then you hit 50 and you know you’re walking just
a little bit slower, you take a few seconds more than you used to when you
answer questions and it takes longer to put a meal together. That’s just the
passage of time. While you can’t really reverse the process of aging, what you
can do is to increase your energy levels. Here are a few practical tips on how
to keep your energy flowing even as the years creep up on you.
Straighten those shoulders
One of the main reasons for lower
energy levels is those slouchy shoulders. Sit on a straight-backed chair,
straighten your spine and push those shoulders back. When you are walking, too,
tell yourself those shoulders need to go up and back. Suddenly, you’ll find
your lungs expanding and a whole lot more air entering them. Ergo – more
energy!
Stop holding your tummy in
If you have a large paunch, you
need to tackle it with a combination of diet and exercise to get rid of the
flab. Holding your stomach in is not the answer and can do more harm than good.
When your stomach is sucked in, your diaphragm gets rigid and your lungs cannot
expand to their full capacity downwards. Remember, pulling in of the tummy
means less air and oxygen, therefore lower energy levels so keep those stomach
muscles relaxed.
In some cases, the stomach is taut
not because the person pulls it in but because of stress. The easiest way to
ease up on the stress is to consciously relax the stomach. It’s amazing how you
start feeling better almost immediately.
Walk light
As you grow older, you lose the
spring from your step. Well, just put it back. Instead of going ‘thump, thump’,
as you walk, follow the heel-toe drill. Let your heel land on the ground first
then quickly and lightly transfer the weight onto your toes. This should be
done in a fluid, bouncy motion. So you need to walk tall and straight and you
need to walk light as well. You’ll find yourself walking faster and being able
to walk a lot more.
Eat right
Don’t overstuff yourself – stop
eating before you get full is the rule you should live by. Eat food that is
good and nutritious – stick with fresh food and you should be fine. When you
overeat and you eat food that’s rich and oily, you pay the price as you grow
older. Your tummies function great when you are young even though you use them
like garbage cans but with age, the tummy starts making its displeasure felt.
Light meals just make you feel a lot more energetic. Otherwise a lot of your
body’s energy is directed towards digesting the food leaving very little left
for other activities.
Also remember to cut down on
white flour foods and white sugar. Maybe now is a good time to look at
alternative sweeteners – if you must have them – like honey or unrefined sugar.
Think positive
Easier said than done and you
wonder why people keep saying that as though you can switch on what you want
and switch off what you don’t. No – it’s not easy – not by a long shot. One of
the best ways to do it is to try and fill your day with lots to do so there’s
no time for those negative thoughts which wear you down and make you feel
drained out. Here are a few tips:
·
Take up a hobby you like – gardening, cooking,
photography – something to keep your mind and hours in the days occupied.
·
Join a group – people who like what you like. It
could be something as simple as a group of friends who meet in the park every
evening.
·
Try and smile more often, even when you are
alone. It’s hard to think of depressing things when you’re smiling. And you’ll
find the world smiling back at you.
·
Find friends you can laugh with and take in a
crazy movie or play or pick up a funny DVD, invite a few friends over and have
a great laugh over a couple of beers.
·
Sing out loud – when you work around the house,
in the shower, in the garden. Your lungs open out and the energy flows.
·
Dance. Put on some music which you like when
you’re alone and dance those blues away. It’s incredible how it just perks up
you. Don’t go doing any fancy steps though, unless you want to end up with a
plaster cast.
·
Do something totally crazy – like learning to
scuba dive, taking off on a cruise all by yourself, learning an obscure
language, joining a salsa class. It just makes you feel new and energized.
Breathe right
Last and by far the most
important, you need to practice how to breathe right. Sometimes, this is all it
takes to make you feel young and full of zest again. Shoulders back, tummy
relaxed, let each breath go right in. Breathe in to 4 counts, hold for 4
counts, exhale for 4 counts then pause for 2 counts. Don’t let it be a strain.
Just open up your lungs and breathe in as far as it feels comfortable. When
your system is well-oxygenated, you’ll feel so good. You don’t need to go pay
some guru top dollar to make you feel good – you can do it sitting all by
yourself in your own home.
You can advance to a bit of
meditation too. Sit in a quiet place and breathe to these counts for 5 minutes.
As you breathe, concentrate on your breath going in and out of your nostrils.
When your attention is on your breath, the chatter in your brain stops. It’s
that easy and that simple. With a bit of practice, you’ll be meditating like a
pro in no time.
That’s all there is to it.
There’s absolutely no way you should let age get the better of you. You can be
alive and energetic as the years go by if you only put a few of these easy tips
into practice.
