For as long as I can remember, I never accepted what others wrote or proclaimed as “normal” for my age. This stems from a very disastrous situation that proved to be a positive turning point.
  

A few months out of college and eager to begin the rest of my life I was diagnosed with a herniated disc, warned against having a baby anytime soon and informed that for the rest of my life I could never do anything “strenuous”.  I was devastated and sunk into a depression that lasted many years.
  

However, I could not fully accept my dismal prognosis and determined to find a way around this. Back in 1971 there was no internet, massage was a euphemism for prostitution, chiropractors were considered “quacks” and physical therapy was unheard of. The standard treatment was rest, followed by wearing a cumbersome back brace for the next eight months. While unable to do anything I stumbled upon an article on Hatha Yoga, a new phenomenon that seemed to help people with “bad backs” like me. I gave it a try and between following Richard Hittleman’s program on PBS and Yoga classes where I can still hear the instructor say “Align your spine.” I developed good posture and an awareness of how my body should move in everyday situations.
   

Meanwhile the “Running Boom” hit New York City with the inaugural five-borough marathon in 1976. A few years later, I took my first tentative steps along the East River Esplanade with the full intention of quitting if my back hurt. It didn’t and ten years almost to the date of my discouraging diagnosis, I ran the marathon – proving to myself that I did not have to simply accept what the doctors said. Ever.  
   
At 60, I still run, practice Yoga and have added weight training to the mix. In fact I am currently lifting heavier weights than I did when I was 40! In addition, I’ve become an avid “Square-Foot Garden” fan and have taken to landscaping my property myself – not bad for someone who was told not to do anything strenuous almost 40 years ago.
   
So what is my secret? It’s more than just exercise, eating right and favorable genes. Although these factors are important, the real key lies elsewhere – in your brain! You see, core beliefs, attitudes and what you allow to influence your thinking is crucial.
Here are three major points I wish to make:

1. 1. Health is a choice. Here’s a pop quiz for you: True or false.High blood pressure is a natural part of the aging process.
   Sooner or later you need prescription drugs to stay healthy.
   As you get older you need to slow down.
   My answer is “Not necessarily!” As I mentioned earlier, genetics does play a role when it comes to the possibility of developing chronic conditions like high blood pressure. In fact my family history consists of hypertension, Type II diabetes, heart arrhythmia, arteriosclerosis, uterine fibroids, high cholesterol, colon cancer, chronic migraines, anemia and adult-onset asthma. Or as my mother so eloquently puts is “Everything that should be low is high and everything that should be high is low with lumps and bumps in between!”
   However with the exception of a two-year period of adult-onset asthma, I have managed to have NONE of these conditions! For me, my dismal family history was a list of warning signs to be acted upon. By making informed choices as to my living habits – is some cases purposefully doing the exact opposite of what my parents and other family members were doing – I managed to prove to myself as well as my doctors that genetics does not determine destiny.
2. Never claim what you do not want.  Most of the time when people receive an unfavorable report from their doctor, they say things like: “I have high-blood pressure.” Or “I’m a diabetic just like my father.” Or “At my age ___________ is to be expected.” I say “Hogwash!” These kind of statements label you as a loser in the area of physical  health and offer no alternative. When I received my diagnosis of adult-onset asthma after suffering with a horrible cough that did not go away after two months in the fall of 1997, I immediately resolved NEVER to identify myself with my symptoms.
   When asked what was the matter (usually in a public place after a nasty coughing
   Spell, I deliberately answered, “I have a diagnosis of asthma which I and my doctor are working on.” And indeed we did!  Armed with two inhalers, a decongestant and an antihistamine, I set out to find out all I could (this time with the aid of the internet) and began to boost my immune system by making a number of dietary modifications. I also identified my two triggers (cold air and cigarette smoke) and avoided these as best I could.

In six months I no longer needed to use the steroid inhaler, the decongestant or the antihistamine despite it being springtime with “allergy season” well underway. Although my “kinder and gentler” non-steroid inhaler went everywhere I did, I never thought of or described myself as “an asthmatic”. Continuing to pray and believe that I would be totally healed as I needed my inhaler less and less, in two year’s time, tests confirmed that my lungs and bronchial tubes were just fine. In fact, my doctor even suggested that he may have been wrong (?) with his initial diagnosis.

However, having experienced a whole lot of non-stop coughing fits, having to “sleep” in a recliner for several months and waking up a number of times with the feeling of an elephant standing on my chest, I know that was not the case. The difference was that I did not unconsciously or passively lay claim to what I did not want in the way I spoke or thought.

Take affirmative action.  I’m not talking about civil rights but rather embracing personal responsibility in all areas of your health – preferably BEFORE serious symptoms appear. Too many people assume that simply because they do not “hurt” that all is well and will stay that way automatically. If only that were true! Then all of the “usual suspects” that suddenly show up in our 40’s and 50’s would not exist.
   
Unfortunately, most of you reading this (if not all) know of someone who seemed to be doing just fine develop a serious and sometimes terminal illness that could have been prevented. The point is that much of your health depends on your chosen habits over the course of time. I call it the 20-year factor. In other words, what you do (or don’t do) at this time will affect you 20 years from now. Or the state of your health now is linked to choices you made 20 years ago.
   
Younger women, especially those in their 20’s too often take their health for granted, only to find things beginning to get rather nasty in their 40’s. Because of my decisions as a result of my bad experience at age 22, my 40’s were pretty uneventful. Even better were my 50’s as by that time I had 15 years of weight training, almost 20 years of running and 30 years of Yoga under my belt. I believe that my investment into my physical health made my passage through menopause a breeze. (A cool one I might add!)
   
So what if you are already well into “middle age” and experiencing some unpleasant or even nasty physical symptoms? Is it to late? Absolutely not! BUT you must be willing to do your research, decide on some changes and commit to making your health a priority. Most importantly, you need to examine your own attitudes towards fitness and getting older.
   
If you’re like most people, you’ll need to start thinking differently, choosing wisely, speaking positively and taking affirmative steps in the direction of what you want rather that settling for what other people, the media and even the medical profession says about “aging”. This calls for a little healthy skepticism, a fair amount of correct information and a whole lot of resolve to live the rest of your life in grand style into your 50’s 60’s 70’s and beyond!

Submitted by Elizabeth Hanselman, LMT

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