The Silver Years Ahead of Us

The Silver Years Ahead of Us

 

One thing we all have to admit is how the silver years creep up on you and before you know it, years have passed since you retired. In the meantime, you had thought about doing a variety of things but for some reason or another, you have become a couch potato and inactively going through the day without any exercise or stimulating activities including trips and out going places.

Have you been thinking about being more active now that your clock has stopped and the watch you wear is just for looks? Have you been thinking about going for walks or eating less food but you feel like there is no hurry to get to such a point in your life? Whether you realize it or not, the clock is ticking and your heart is not as strong as it used to be so maybe you should get off that couch and do a little exercise.

We know two things for sure; old habits die hard and life’s clock does not stand still. We get old and we get old faster if we become inactive and do nothing about staying active and eating better.

We know that making changes does not come easy. It takes years sometimes to change old habits into new habits. While you are undergoing such thoughts of changing, you will find many obstacles and barriers along the way working on discouraging you to make this change you are thinking about.

Somewhere along the way, whether it be the death of a friend, a relative or someone you worked with, the reality hits you square in the face and makes you realize you need to change your ways. Not just your daily routine but your way of thinking, your priorities and your health habits. It’s time for you to wake up and realize you are but a step away from heart problems, diabetes, crippling diseases or bone degeneration if you don’t change your life.

It is time for you to make a move and find ways to get motivated and improve your habits. You have to change and you know it can’t be done overnight so you decide to take four steps to make it work for you. Changing your behavior will take serious contemplation to plan it; reasonable and rational preparation to start it, time and opportunities to take the action to do it and create a new lifestyle to give your new life a means to maintenance to keep it up.

STAGES OF CHANGE DIAGRAM

■ 1. CONTEMPLATION	■ 2. PREPARATION	■ 3. ACTION	■ 4. MAINTENANCE
“I’m thinking about it.”	“I have made up my mind.”	“I have started to make changes.”	“I have a new routine.”
You are thinking about change and trying to become more motivated to get started. You might be in this stage if ..You have been considering change but you are not ready to start. ..You believe that your health, energy level, or overall well-being will improve if you develop new habits. ..You are not sure how you will overcome the roadblocks that stand in the way of success.	You are making plans and figuring out specific ideas that will work for you. You might be in this stage if ..You have decided that you are going to change, and you are ready to take action. ..You have set some specific goals that you would like to meet. ..You are getting ready to put your plan into action and get started soon.	You are acting on your plan and making the changes you set out to achieve. You might be in this stage if ..You have been making eating or physical activity changes in the last 6 months or so. ..You are adjusting to how it feels to eat differently or be more active. ..You have been “troubleshooting” to overcome things that have blocked your success.	You have become used to your change and have kept it up for more than 6 months. You might be in this stage if ..Your change has become a habit. ..You have found creative ways to keep going and stick with your routine. ..You have had slip-ups and setbacks but have been able to get past these snags.