Aging Well Starts Early—Here’s What to Teach the Next Generation

Commentary by Ron Washington, native Chicagoan living in Las Vegas, disabled Marine Corps combat veteran, business owner (Premiers Secours), and proud NU grad. Son of Bernadine C. Washington, former WVON GM, who inspired his love for writing.

Aging engages a complex combination and interaction between our genes, the environment, and other factors such as culture and the habits that we acquire. We don’t think of aging while we are young, but we soon find out that the lifestyle decisions that we make at an early age have a direct correlation to our quality of life as we age. When, where and how do we learn this? 

If you have youngsters in your life, and most of us do, then think about integrating this topic into your regular conversations with them. They think you are trying to run their lives anyway, so you may as well get on their nerves with some wisdom teachings about longevity. Something they are not thinking about. 

If I can give any guidance or counsel to young people at this time in their lives, and if they would listen, young meaning 30-49 or younger, what would this advice be?

Here’s the topic I choose and it is to get them to understand how important these four considerations are in the  process of living, and aging. To live is to age, we all will experience this. Here you go with the 4 important considerations:

Exercise

Nutrition

Sleep

Emotional Health

While you are busy being young, (I didn’t realize the importance of these considerations until much later because I was busy being young) you would benefit from learning how to incorporate these four things into planning your life, while you are busy being young. 

If you are 50 you are now officially old!

But it’s never too late to start no matter your age. Like everything else in life, the key word and critical concept is to START. If you are over 50 then this topic is not only important it is urgent! 

The important part is that you need not put pressure on yourself and thinking, “…woe is me, I’m too “old” to do anything about aging.” The most important thing is to at your own pace, to simply START! … and pass the word! 

BTW, Here’s a resource for some of my women friends over 50 that may be of interest and value: https://agingoutloud.com/