LOSING THE WILL TO STAY FIT AS YOU GROW OLDER
I met my mother off the bus at Galway Train Station on Thursday. She was coming from Kerry and travelling to Mayo. She is in her early 60’s and is a very active woman. When I met her I carried her bags, she was hungry and a little cranky so food was her priority. As we walked through Eyre Square, I noticed that she was walking particular slow. Maybe I’m a fast walker, so I slowed down. She seemed out of breath. This did alarm me because she was always active. She worked hard all her life and is blessed with her health. No traces of osteoporosis, very strong and healthy. She has a great diet and even though she lives on her own, she always cooks dinner for herself every evening. This is a great focus for her. However this breathlessness bothered me. So I asked her was she ok? She said that she is gotten unfit and has given up on exercise and is too old for that, this was her response. I was so shocked to hear this. It wasn’t that she couldn’t exercise it was that she didn’t want to and thought because she was just over 60, the need to exercise was less important. She listed out so many excuses, the weather, tiredness, lack of energy, nobody to walk with, it was too dangerous and no time. These excuses I have heard a million times. I felt my mother’s attitude had changed. Maybe she wasn’t surrounded by people who wanted to exercise and she lost motivation. This can happen to anyone at any age. Losing motivation and creating all these excuses is not age sensitive. Her friends were of the same attitude. Funny thing is they were envious of anyone that did exercise. When I told my mother I had done Gaelforce West last weekend, she said oh my god that is amazing, I wish I had your energy. Maybe I am bursting with energy but it takes effort. I set a goal for myself and I commit to them and just do it. It’s not always easy and I have to push myself when things get very tough. I sometimes hear my inner voice saying ‘are you crazy for putting yourself through this” I quickly say cop on, and tell myself I can do it, and imagine the feeling at the finish line. That’s what gets me through it. it’s not my physical capability it’s my want to do it and my ability to ignore the pain. That’s what drives me. I’m not saying that my mother should do Gaelforce but what I am saying is that she needs to set herself an achievable goal. She needs to change her mindset and this can only be done by encouragement from everyone around her. A leg up is all she needs. This could be asking a friend to go for a walk. Getting up earlier and making time to do a little bit. Buying appropriate shoes and clothing for all weathers. Choosing safe paths that are well lit. Eating little and often to ensure you don’t have dips in your sugar levels. Eating healthy snacks to avoid sugar slumps. These are all the tips I gave my mother. Since I don’t live in the same county as her, all I can do is send her daily text messages of a few exercises to do. An exercise programme that’s simple to follow involving muscular strength based exercises for her bones and an aerobic training plan for her cardiovascular system. She can do both in the comfort of her own sitting room. If you know someone who is like my mother share this and help them change their attitude. It’s a long road, all I can do is guide her, she has to believe and want to do it too for herself. She is probably going to kill me for writing this and posting up her picture. It’s for her own good.