“I’m going with the old man,” I told my friends when it was time to put a Superbowl winner.

I thought the game would be a lot closer but I was positive that Tom Brady at 43 would be able to put up a win against the new football phenom Patrick Mahomes.

I just didn’t expect the game to be so lopsided. Why couldn’t Kansas City have played so poorly in the Big Game against my San Francisco 49ers last year? Grrr.

What was truly amazing to watch was a 43-year-old Tom Brady lead his team to victory.  Once you hit 30 in Football years, you’re practically a senior citizen  over 40 is unheard of.

I believe what we’re witnessing is what it means to ReDEFINE Aging.

ReDefining Aging

One reason I love working with older adults is that they demolish many of the stereotypes about aging.

I remember teaching a class for people who were significantly younger than my clients and I thought, “Well I do this with my 60 and 70-year-old clients these people are much younger so they should be able to do this.”

They could not.

I have trained tech workers in their 30’s who could not do the same workouts as those in their 70’s because they’re so deconditioned from sitting at desks all day.

This is why I don’t believe in labeling people according to chronological age.

At my certification as a Functional Aging Specialist, the instructors kept reiterating that people who have a poor mindset toward aging die earlier than those who have a positive mindset toward aging.

It is likely a self-fulfilling prophecy.  If you have a positive attitude toward aging, then you’ll take better care of yourself.

I hang around a lot of younger people and many are surprised that I’m way older than they are.  I turn 40 this year and while that was once considered over the hill, I hope to show other people something different.

Honestly, the only time I feel my age is when it comes to music
( Does it really need to be this Loud? and I’VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS PERSON. MY MUSIC WAS WAY BETTER), when I bring up my pop culture references (not knowing who Prince was is a travesty) or bring up things like Blockbuster and Kinkos…

Oh and remember when you made popcorn on the stove or in a popcorn maker?

Yeah…I tend to give away my age when it comes to stuff like that.

This week think about ways you can take a step toward a positive mindset toward aging.  It may be moving and stretching so that you can minimize stiffness and the risk of falling.

If you’re feeling lower energy, then you may want to talk to your doctor about B Vitamins or other supplementation.

Keep up with things you find interesting.  Read, Do Crossword Puzzles, Journal, Stay connected with Friends, Make friends with younger people Put together Puzzles, and listen to music (probably not too loud)

How can you begin to think about redefining aging to AGE BETTER?