Common Myths of Aging Revealed
One of the facts of life is that we are all getting older. Whether we like to admit it or not, it is happening to all of us. But how we deal with it, as well as how we cope can be completely personal. Sometimes the challenge can be the number of transitions that we have to go through all at once. That can take its toll on us and affect how we see ourselves and how we feel. Declining health, changes in family life, and perhaps even a loss of independence can all occur as we begin the aging process.
Anxiety is also something that can make the aging process worse. We can worry about what might happen to us or to family members. We might worry about their health or situation, just as much as our own. Will we lose our mind? Will we end up in a wheelchair? It can go from one extreme to the other. So here are some myths about aging to set the record straight. You don’t want to make things worse for yourself by stressing about getting older and all that it brings.
Dementia is Inevitable
Myth number one is that dementia is inevitable as we get older. Many medical professionals will tell us just how we should treat dementia if it does happen to us or to our loved ones. While it isn’t inevitable, it can happen. But it should be treated as a regular medical condition. Don’t just dismiss it as a normal part of aging, if it happens to you or someone around you. If someone around you becomes forgetful, then it could be because of a nutritional reason, due to medication, or because of a medical condition. Seek the help you or they need in order to deal with it and help it. It doesn’t, and shouldn’t have to be a fact of life as we age.
You Can No Longer Have Children
Myth number two is that you can not have children as you get older. I mean, this can be a myth up until a certain point, as our bodies will stop us being able to carry children eventually. But people are still having children into their late forties these days. Naturally, women are getting older as they are having children. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t have them if you are over thirty, does it? As long as you are living a healthy lifestyle, regularly exercise, and maintain a healthy weight, there shouldn’t be any reason to not have children as you get a bit older. Nature will let you know when you can no longer have children naturally. But these days, with fertility technology and things like egg freezing, it is allowing more and more couples, including same-sex couples, to be able to have children. So if you are a bit older and may not be able to physically carry a baby, there are still options.
You Can’t Exercise In Your Fifties if You Didn’t Before Now
Many people think that as they get older, they can’t exercise, especially if they never had a regular routine in place before then. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. There is always a good time to exercise, and that is whenever you want to! If you haven’t done so for a long time, then you might find it hard, so you’ll need to build up your fitness and strength gradually. But in order to defy the signs of aging, to feel fit, and build up your strength, there has never been a better time to start exercising. So don’t believe this myth at all!
Sex Stops as You Age
In a survey of over three thousand people, all aged over 57, it found that their sexual activity depended on their health or their partner’s health, rather than their age. Those that reported their health as excellent or very good, were eighty percent more likely to be sexually active than those that reported their health as poor. So really, what this myth comes down to, is how you feel in yourself. It can stop if you want it to. It can carry on if you want it to. If you feel well and your partner does, then there is no reason why you can’t still be sexually active as you get older.
You’ll Get Depressed As You Age
Younger people, perhaps even you though this when you were younger, that getting old is depressing. So because it is depressing, you are going to get depressed. But at the end of the day, depression is a mental health issue. People with clinical depression can be quite positive individuals. Likewise, someone that is quite negative, doesn’t have to be clinically depressed. So it is dependent on the individual. If you or someone around you is starting to show signs of depression, such as isolation, negative thoughts, weight loss or weight gain, then depression is treatable. So getting help is important if you think that this is the case.
Pain and Arthritis Are Inevitable
The final myth about aging is that you are bound to be in pain as you get older and will certainly get arthritis. While the latter can be common as we get older, it is simply due to wear and tear on the cartilage in our joints, not simply because we are older. Plus, there are plenty of things that you can be doing now to help reduce your chances of getting arthritis. Being a healthy weight, wearing supportive footwear, and reducing how much we do impact exercises like basketball or running. Exercising is a good way to avoid pain and arthritis, as it helps to build your muscles up. If you’re not used to exercise and take a fall, it will hurt much more than if you’re fit and can stop yourself from falling, for example.
So although aging is inevitable, it doesn’t have to have a negative impact on our lives. We can still get to do the things we are doing now and enjoy our life as we get older.
Tia, and TipsfromTia.com is trying to keep you looking good and
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