I remember when I was six, Glen Perkins pushed me down a hill and I broke my arm. On went a cast for a number of weeks. I remember when the doctor sawed it off, how skinny my arm looked. I was only six and was still affected by the dis-use of a body part.

Stop exercising for a couple of months and start up again. You likely will hurt some and will not come anywhere close to performing at your pre-idleness level. Stop exercising for years and heaven help the muscle soreness if and when you start up again.

Do crossword puzzles, Sudoku, crypto quotes — things to engage your mind. This will help push off the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

A century ago, manual labour was prevalent in society. Today, most jobs are sedentary.

A generation or two ago, we played outside everyday as kids. We were active. Today’s kids perhaps work out their thumbs better than we did, but inactivity is a hallmark of this generation.

Use It or Lose It

The common theme here is the human body is made to work. It’s made to be used. If it’s not used, it rusts, it stiffens, it ages.

We have people around the world — baby boomers — aging in numbers never seen before in history.

What is this going to bring? To society? To you?

While you and I may not be able to speak for society as a whole, we certainly can have a significant effect on how aging will impact us.

Will it be the nursing home with 24-hour care? Will it be the assisted living facility in a tony new seniors’ complex? Or will you be living in your own home, working in the garden, exercising daily, and leading a functional, active life while the odometer turns over its third digit?

The decision is yours. And much of it is based on the old phrase, “use it or lose it”.

I know what I’m planning. What’s your plan: using or losing?