Ageing is an unavoidable part of life! In general conversations between older individuals, there are often discussions around their growing lists of aches, pains, and other health complaints. Ageing itself can be seen by some as a curse, or alternatively as an honour or joy –  or perhaps just as an unavoidable part of life, much like laundry, grocery shopping and bills.

What happens to us when we age?

A textbook answer would probably be something like ageing is a biological process that happens to us over time, which reflects the molecular and cellular damage that has occurred over an individual’s lifetime. This implies that our minds and bodies will gradually decrease in capability, and we can expect to experience an increased risk of disease and ultimately death.

For the young, ageing is generally an exciting process. This process becomes less exciting once we attain middle age and beyond. We may feel an increasing affinity to the line and title of the children’s song;

“The old grey mare ain’t what she used to be”

We may feel like we did when we were 18 or 21, but – now the ground is just that bit further away when we need to pick something up. We may feel it more in our joints and muscles after doing physical work.

As amazing as our physical bodies are, we were not made to live forever. Parts of us may wear out, we need hip or knee replacements due to injury or due to the gradual molecular and cellular damage – the results of ageing.

Our bodies may not be as capable of doing everything we desire of them as we get older- however ageing does not have to be a negative experience. With age also comes the gathering of knowledge- the accumulation of life experience, and the precious connections we make with others over time. Afterall,

“You can’t put an old head on young shoulders.”

As we age our bodies wear and change is inevitable. At LM Natural Health we believe that whether we choose to age gracefully or disgracefully, we can choose to age well. As with most things in life, there’s no ‘one size fits all’.

Our bodies carry us through life, and in many ways hold the story of the lives we live. The physical demands we have placed on our bodies, the genetics that made us, injury, illness, emotional, mental, and spiritual influences, and events that we have experienced. Everything that we have been through and made us who we are today.

As we honour the past that our bodies have carried us through, we can still care for our bodies for the years to come. Not through denying that we are ageing, but through caring for ourselves where we are at. Focusing on awareness and prevention of risks and how to manage the changes that our bodies undergo.

If you would like to know more about how you can have healthy ageing follow this blog, as we continue to explore 5 common health complaints of ageing and how to navigate them.

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