Use It Or Lose It

Does that hurt? The intern asked as I went through my paces during a recent medical.

I just looked at him and shook my head. Of course it does I said, but the question should be, am I able to perform the task that you are asking me to. The supervising doctor, who I have known for years, smiled in agreement. I guess he’s used to this ornery, dry-witted patient by now.

I’ve found that in so many areas of life, that “use it or lose it” is a principle that needs to be heeded. I have a medical every year, and endeavor to keep my weight in check and make sure that I get sufficient exercise. I know that if I don’t exercise enough that my joints will become stiffer and painful, my muscles will become weaker, and my bones may become brittle. (University of Rochester Medical Center)

I’m not a gym junkie by the way, I just set myself a goal of at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, longer when I’m out with Jake the Wonder Dog, or flying drones with my grandkids. That can be a bit hard during winter sometimes – the last thing I want to do is go out in the cold.

What makes it even harder in winter too is the tendency to overindulge in comfort food.

In our town, the average length of a block is about 250 meters (just over 270 yards), so if I am pressed for time I know that a walk around the block is going to be about one kilometer.

What about losing or using other stuff?

It’s not just physical fitness we lose if we aren’t careful, but our emotional and spiritual health as well. Relationships, and not just romantic ones, can require even more effort to maintain than our physical condition.

We can’t afford to take our life partner for granted, and our kids are only with us for a short time. As important as money is to support, educate and care for our family, the thing that they really need is our time, and attention. I enjoy spending time with my grandkids, and see them as often as I can. I know that as much as I give out in a relationship, I get even more back.

The same goes with my friends, or mates as we call them here in Australia. I have a couple of good friends that I meet for coffee every week or two, depending on our schedules. We know each other well enough to speak what’s on our minds, and over the years allowing others to do so has stopped me from doing some stupid stuff.

Using it or losing it is important in other areas too. Just today I set up a security system for a friend of my wife’s. I’m also getting back into writing and playing with technology again as well. As Hercule Poirot would say, it’s important to exercise those little grey cells..

I guess what it comes down to is that being proactive in relationships, exercise and doing things to exercise the mind are all part of what makes us human. We need to relate to other people, and we also need to stay mentally sharp, especially as we get older. We may be moving more slowly, but that’s still better than coming to a dead stop…

How are you going today?

I asked the question a little while back, “Is a writer who doesn’t write still a writer?”