2002 New Year’s Resolutions

by Wendell Cayton

New Year’s Resolutions . . . we make ’em and break ’em. We humans are as alike as we are different. Here’s one resolution we all have made, at least once in our lives, which we shouldn’t break.

No, I’m not talking about the resolve to never purchase another “can’t miss” IPO stock. It’s a foregone conclusion that the next time our neighbor turns a $2,000 investment into $20,000 in a matter of weeks, that itch will be back.

I’m talking about the resolution that most of us make to get our bodies back into shape. Over the years, as my clients have aged . . . and I have aged . . . I have become increasingly aware of the fact that a successful retirement is really about quality of life. That has more to do with how we take care of ourselves physically than how much money we have piled up.

Last week, I found a most intriguing website devoted to aging and health: www.realage.com

The site directs you to take the RealAge Test. The test consists of numerous questions regarding lifestyle . . . what you eat, your physical condition, how much you exercise, your family health history, your health history and so on. The test is designed to measure your real age as opposed to your chronological age. If people take very good care of themselves, their real ages are equivalent to those of younger people. If they abuse themselves, their real ages are likely to be that of older people. The site also provides a number of suggestions on how to make yourself younger.

I took the test as I live now and then retook it as if I kept all my resolutions to get in shape, eat breakfast and green vegetables, drive a little slower and always wear my seatbelt. I materially added years to my life!

I challenge you to do the same. Take the test both ways—first honestly as you live today, and then again as you would like to live. While you’re at it, hit the nearest bookstore for a delightful and provocative book on aging: Breaking the Rules of Aging by David Lipschitz, MD, PhD.

As a geriatric medicine specialist, Lipschitz became increasingly aware of how poorly doctors treated patients over 50. Their immediate medical conditions were treated, but the doctors seemed to be interested only in those immediate problems and not the future lives of the patients. Lipschitz’s book deals with the future and how one can learn to live with aging and still enjoy life. He notes that an average 70-year-old is likely to live another 16 years, but a really healthy person of the same age could easily live to 100.

He also explores a number of myths about aging, like “a little weight as we age helps,” “heart tests and treatments will save your life,” and my favorite myth, “walking is the perfect exercise for older adults.” Dr Lipschitz says strolling doesn’t cut it—we need to pump iron, put a little physical stress on our bodies. That matters . . . regardless of how old we are!

I challenge you to take the RealAge Test. Then read Dr. Lipschitz’s book. Doing so should put a little resolve into that resolution.

Have a happy and prosperous New Year!