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Listen to Your Elders

Following in the Footsteps of Those that Prioritize Movement

Dr. Susan Simon Kalt | 2024-08-16

Listen to Your Elders
Recently while on July 4th vacation with my 79 year old mother, we were heading back from shopping in the sleepy beach town of New Buffalo, Michigan. As we drove past the turnaround spot for my mom's daily run, she said, "Stop the car, I'll jump out and run home. Meet you there!" Her grandchildren and I cheered her on as we drove past her, watching her run in the rearview mirror.

This simple act of my mother's made a huge impact on me. It was both not surprising given my mother's running routine, and next level as far as her commitment to daily running. This decision of hers was not as spontaneous as it seemed, instead it was the result of years of similar decisions, that formed the habit of moving everyday, and the mindset to make it happen.

My mom started running in her 40's. There was an outdoor track near our house and one day she ran around it, and then just kept doing it day after day right before we came home from school. Now rarely a day goes by, rain, snow, or heat that she doesn't lace up her running shoes and head out the door for her run.

As a woman in my 50's, struggling with postmenopausal changes in my body and mood, I saw her resilience in a new light. I saw it as a message to move everyday no matter what.

Why did this seem so pressing and important? Studies have shown that even small amounts of movement improves blood sugar levels, blood pressure, bone and heart health, as well as helping with stress, lowering levels of anxiety, depression and dementia. With such overwhelming scientific evidence that movement improves mental and physical health, it is in all of our best interests to start moving now, but how?

Start with the vision, whether it be a running grandma, hiker, gardener, yogi, or walker, find the movement your body craves and your mind embraces.

Plan the ways you can incorporate this into your day everyday. Do it day after day and stick to your plan. If you miss a day, remember and reconnect with your vision, and recommit to your plan.

Observing and listening to your elders by what they do, or don't do, can be just the motivation you need to make a desire into a habit. If I want to be the grandma who jumps out of a car to run home, why not start today?