Too Old to Change?

Don't Believe It Because It Isn't True

Ignore Naysayers (even if they have a medical degree)

“Take the pills. You’re too old to change.” This is how a doctor responded to my seventy-year-old friend Mary Jane when she told him she wanted to try lifestyle changes for six months before taking drugs to control her elevated blood pressure and cholesterol levels. He didn’t tell her the changes wouldn’t work. Essentially he told her she couldn’t or wouldn’t do it because she was too old and set in her ways. Gee doc, thanks for the vote of confidence!

When Mary Jane told me this story, my response was, “He actually said that to you? Too old to change? What a jerk! Where does he get off telling you you’re too old? What kind of a doctor does that? Is he getting a kickback from the drug companies? You should find another doctor.” Admittedly, I reacted strongly when I heard that a doctor—who should be encouraging healthy lifestyle changes—does the opposite.

Truth be told, if a doctor said that to me, I’m not sure how I would have reacted. Most likely with disappointment and disbelief. Knowing myself as I do, I also think I would have gotten a wee bit angry. Since I do try to maintain civility and decorum in my dealings with others, it’s not likely I would have said out loud what I most certainly would have been thinking. But I might have told him to take the pills and shove them . . . somewhere.

Mary Jane, who keeps a calm head even in the most frustrating situations (which this clearly was), politely but firmly refused the pills, to her doctor’s chagrin. She agreed to come back in six months to see how things looked then. She sheepishly admitted that the doctor made her so mad when he condescendingly advised her that she was going to fail and would be taking pills in six months that she mumbled “Jackass!” under her breath while leaving the office. I’m thinking this doctor-patient relationship is on the rocks and destined for failure.

Simple Changes Can Work Wonders

Mary Jane resolved that she wouldn’t give her doctor the satisfaction of being right. She really buckled down on her new healthy regimen. But she was smart about it. She didn’t try to break any records or go from sedentary to running a 5K overnight. She was realistic about what she could do and would do; and started there. She also wanted to do things that she knew she could sustain after her six month “trial” period was over. Mary Jane did it the right way.

First, she stopped eating any food that was highly processed. She started eating more fruits and vegetables. She focused on moving more and sitting less during the day. In the evening, when she typically watched television, she’d get up and sit down (sit to stands) several times rather than just sitting and vegging. She also increased her movement with a 30-minute walk five days a week. She loaded an app on her phone that gave her breathing and meditation prompts and exercises and attended a beginners’ yoga class once a week.

I don’t want to give the doctor more credit than he deserves, but his negative attitude had the positive effect of fortifying Mary Jane’s resolve. Whenever she felt herself losing momentum, she thought about how sweet it would be to prove the doctor wrong. If she failed, it wouldn’t be because she didn’t give it her all.

When Mary Jane returned in six months, her numbers had improved and were almost normal. She’d also lost 12 pounds, was sleeping better, had more energy, and felt terrific. She did all of this on her own—without taking a single pill. She was thrilled! Her doctor’s reaction was not as ebullient. Instead of congratulating her on her success, he told her she wasn’t likely to stick with her program, and she’d be need the pills in less than a year. This guy just couldn’t seem to get past his preconception that a person’s age is determinative of their ability to change. Wisely, Mary Jane resisted the urge to punch his lights out (her words not mine) and found another doctor.

It’s been three years since Mary Jane took control over her life to change her lifestyle and improve her health. Now 73, she’s shed 10 more pounds. Her blood pressure and cholesterol levels are better than ever. She plays pickleball 3 days a week, while still walking, meditating and practicing yoga consistently.

Way to go Mary Jane! Too old to change? I think not!

Change Is Possible Whether You’re 50 or 100

Whether you’re in your 50s or even 100, it’s never too late to make lifestyle changes that will improve your quality of life. In a Johns Hopkins study that tracked more than 6,000 people ages 44 to 84 over seven years, those who made positive lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, following a Mediterranean-style diet, getting regular exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight improved their quality of life and reduced their risk of death during the study period by 80%. Argye Hillis, M.D., director of the cerebrovascular division in the Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins Medicine, believes that change is possible regardless of your age. According to Dr. Hillis, it’s never too late to learn new habits “because there’s surprisingly not that much difference between an 18-year-old brain and a 100-year-old brain.”

Five Simple Changes To Improve Health and Well Being

• Keep Moving

  The American College of Sports Medicine recognizes the older you are, the more you can benefit from physical activity. Better yet, any activity will improve your health. That’s true even if its only a few minutes. Don’t sit around. Get up and move often. When you do this, you feel better, sleep better, and move better. In her post, CREEP Injuries (The Non-Personality-Related Issue),

  Miss Gold
  of The Weekly Wellness Whiteboard writes about the importance of movement in preventing back pain. Movement improves stamina, strength, balance, flexibility, and even brain health in your 80s, 90s, and beyond.

• Eat a Variety of Fruits and Veggies

  Eat a rainbow of vegetables and fruits. Each different color is a different type of phytonutrient that serves as a building block for your good health. Fruits and vegetables in season are best, but frozen is also a good choice because fresh produce usually goes straight from the field to the freezer. Just avoid any fruits or vegetables with added ingredients if you’re choosing frozen.

• Be A Lifelong Learner

  Keep your mind and body engaged by actively pursuing knowledge and experiences. You’re never too old to learn something new. The key here is “new.” Learn a new language. Enroll in a class. Learn new technology. Find new ways to get places. Change your walking route. Learn a new dance. Go to a fitness class with challenging choreography. Play challenging games that require you to think. The possibilities are endless.

• Laugh

  Laughter may truly be the best medicine. Studies have shown that laughter has many health benefits. Laughing reduces stress and improves your immune system. It can also increase longevity. So find a movie, cartoon (I love Scott Metzger), jokes, your pets, or something else that tickles your funny bone, and have a good laugh. It’s guaranteed you’ll feel better.

• Listen to Music

  Listening to music triggers a release of the feel-good hormone dopamine. Beyond simply making you feel good, there's evidence that music is good for your health. Research has shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory. Listening to music may boost cognitive function, potentially relieve symptoms of anxiety and stress, and help you stay focused. If you want to keep your brain engaged throughout the aging process, listening to or playing music is a great tool.

If you’ve ever wanted to make healthy lifestyle changes but have given up or not even tried because you’ve told yourself (or someone else has told you) you’re too old for it to make a difference, it’s time to take charge and do it! As Mary Jane can attest, you can make positive lifestyle changes that will improve your health and quality of life regardless of your age.