A Worthy Resolution
I'm usually a big procrastinator, but I already have an idea for my New Year's resolution, thanks to a story on ABC News Dec. 3. A North Carolina church is working with Duke University to explore ways of combating Alzheimer's disease. The older members of the church are learning new skills, such as horseback riding, playing guitar and speaking Spanish. The Duke researchers believe that staying mentally and physically active may stave off the disease. They report that the church members who are taking part in the project already seem more "spry and engaged and happy."
My mother suffered from dementia, probably due to Alzheimer's, so staying spry and engaged and happy sounds good to me. I was further inspired by this story of a 73-year-old college basketball player. I'm fairly sure that basketball is not my game, and I don't have access to a horse, but I am sure that a new activity would be good for me. I'd like to find something that I could share with my grandchildren. Any suggestions?
This post is part of the All About Parenting Blog Carnival for January. If you're a mommy blogger, or a grandpa blogger, or any variety of a family blogger, we'd like for you to participate. If you're new to the idea of a blog carnival, read blog carnival basics here. And come on down!
Comments
My mother in law had infarcia dementia. She was always active. I think it may have come from TIA mini strokes.
The best reason I can think of to stay active is because you can lose muscle tone, motion ability, and deteriorate to a point which is hard to come back from otherwise. Ahhh ageing
Painting has kept my father young, I’m positive. And learning pottery at any age is known to both help people relax as well as becoming engaged in a media with endless possibility and personal satisfaction.
I wonder if that’s why so many older potters are still so active…
I think it is just important to keep active. My grandfather gardens and reads. My grandmother does handiwork such as crochet and is a word search fiend. Both of them are nearing 90 and while they have some physical problems, they are both still fairly sharp mentally.
I do cross stitch – not only does it help me with stress relief, but it also keeps my mind active as I learn new stitches and try my hand at making my own patterns.
I think keeping busy definitely helps. My grandparents were people who always had projects they were working on, and my two paternal grandparents lived past 90. My maternal grandmother kept on top of the news…reading the newspaper daily and watching it nightly…along with her daily “routine,” and she lived to be 105, and never had signs of dementia. My father-in-law doesn’t have too many interests, and while he doesn’t have alzheimer’s or dementia, he seems depressed. I think if he had DIY skills or interests it would help w/ depression.
This may sound crazy, but we have a 72 year old man in karate class. We have grandparents working out with the kids in the kid’s class. No, they are never going to be the next Chuck Norris, but karate makes you think, memorize and make your muscles move in new patterns. There are family-friendly dojos (workout spaces) all over the US, talk with the instructor and visit a class. They usually let you try it for free. Try to stay away from long term contracts or guarantees that you will have your black belt in two years.
One word: sudoku. It’s even better than the crossword for keeping your mind sharp.
Keeping active is so important for physical and psychological health. A senior friend of mine keeps busy with exercise, volunteer activities, and church. She says she is busier now than before she retired! But she swears the activity keeps her young.
If you are looking for activities to share with your grandchildren, here are some we have enjoyed: ping-pong, Wii bowling, trips to the zoo and local museums, and reading together. Another way to stay active is to share your skills. I just taught our 8-year-old granddaughter how to knit.
If you need an inspiration to keep from procrastinating on all those healthy goals, I have one for you: great-grandchildren!
My grandfather gets such pleasure out of his great-grandchildren (and vice versa), but it’s a different kind of fun than he had with his grandchildren. He’s not able to take them fishing or to the beach like he did with us.
But the kids are in such a reverential awe of him, and I get the sense that he almost knows them better than he did us because all he really does is listen to their stories and then tells a few himself.
He keeps his mind active with the news and puzzles. He also works a few hours each day in store during the summer. He keeps a positive attitude, in part, by avoiding people who complain a lot. He has always had a healthier lifestyle than most people in his generation, quitting smoking right after WWII, trying to avoid foods with unnatural ingredients as early as the 1950s, never been overweight, etc.
But it’s never too late to improve your health. Something I wish my own parents would realize so they will be around to meet their great-grandchildren.
Great suggestions, everyone. I have done cross-stitch in the past and may go back to it. I love pottery but have discovered I don’t have a talent for making it. I’ll just continue to collect it. Katherine, I occasionally do a sudoku but being an English major, I do prefer crosswords. Jen, I’ve never thought of taking karate although I have a friend who is accomplished in tai chi, and that appeals to me. Laureen, I don’t want to be a great-grandmother just yet, but I am definitely looking forward to it. I even have my name picked out: Gigi (GG), for Great Grandmother!
My parents love to cook with my son. They love taking him on extended shopping trips, coming home and getting into the food and then whipping up a traditional meal. It winds up being a lot of activity and they can pass along their traditions — and we all get to enjoy a yummy meal!