Use It or Lose It

As we age (I am writing this on my birthday) things begin to droop, bits start to wear out and the ‘laughter lines’ become a little deeper. But it really is a case of use it or lose it. Our bodies will only do what they are used to doing. If we sit for hours at desks, in armchairs or in cars then we underutilise the muscles in our legs and core. This is technically known as atrophy or wasting. So, it’s really good for us to move about and become (even) more active as we age. The same is true about our brains – giving them new problems to solve keeps our brains alive and functioning. Historically, scientists believed that we couldn’t rebuild certain muscle or brain cells – this thinking has been questioned in recent times and we now find that both physically and mentally we can re-build and re-train ourselves. So – it’s never too late. Don’t use aging as an excuse. Whether it’s learning a new language or how to fox-trot – keep on going, keep on learning and keep on living.

Here’s a recommendation for you… I’ve been learning ballroom dancing with my husband for about 5 years now with a very patient teacher – Janina – of Nene School of Dancing. She’ll be starting a brand-new class for beginners on Thursdays 8 – 9 in Stamford. This group will begin on 6^th October. Please see the website for more details – As dancing is both a physical exercise (stepping movements) and a mental exercise (remembering which step comes next) it has been scientifically proven as one of the best forms of exercise we can do.