Caring for senior health begins long before age 60. The things that keep us mobile and healthy do not come in a prescription bottle.
Publish 13 January 2022
Losing Invincibility
Good health is something we assume as a birthright. Our bodies work the way they should. We breathe, eat, sleep, and enjoy life unencumbered by the poking and probing of doctors.
As we age, ideal health goes on retirement. We endure pain from simple tasks like rising from bed or bending to tie a shoe. This is when we rally around the healthcare system. To doctors, we plead, “Restore the ache-free life of my youth.”
The medical profession is adroit in handling trauma or removing benign masses. Punctures and fractures can be sutured and patched. Our bodies take over most of the healing when we are healthy. Physiotherapy or mental health intervention can be helpful during recovery from major trauma.
For chronic pain and disease, we often visit healthcare professionals and receive less satisfying solutions. Prescription pain relievers with undesirable side effects fill our medicine cabinets. These are not cures; they are distractions from incurable conditions.
Better Health Care
The truth is that caring for health is an individual responsibility. Proper nutrition and regular physical fitness are behaviors we cannot pickup from the pharmacy counter.
Barring congenital ailments, we can control the path to good health. Plan nutritious meals for each day. Visit the park or gym at least three times per week. Stretch and walk, jog, or bike five times per week. Stay active if you care about your health and want to extend pain-free life. That’s real health care.
