Staying Strong in My Second Half

My Aunt Evelyn was a force who lived to 99. Her advice to me when I asked her about her secrets to longevity, back in her youthful 70s, was, “A pot of coffee, strong, every morning.” And, she followed it with, “Two gin and tonics, strong, every afternoon.” 

It seems that longevity talk is a hot topic these days. Or maybe it always has been, but now I’m listening. As my friend Stan says, “You’re in your second half now, my dear.”

He’s right. I’m in my 50s now, and my husband soon qualifies for his senior discount. We are feeling strong and healthy, but the thoughts of living a long life and how to ensure against time definitely take up space in my mind.

About three years ago, I was feeling a bit fluffy and so I decided to commit to a personal trainer two times a week for in-person sessions. I didn’t really know what I was signing up for, other than weightlifting and nutritional advice. I found Josie on Instagram, liked her attitude and her cool-looking gym in East Garafraxa. We met for a virtual consultation. “I’ll see you next week!” I said cheerily as I signed off.

Those first sessions were humbling. It had been a long time since I had worked on a farm. A long time since I easily ran eight kilometres. A long time since my muscles did much of anything, if I were being honest.

I still self-identified as a horseback rider, runner and active person, living in the hills. If you live here, you are active by association, right? Wrong. The reality was, I was quite sedentary, my joints were feeling their years, and my shoes hadn’t seen a running pace for many laps around the sun. My brain was stuck in the past, and the training sessions were just the reality I needed. 

I held out a small weight plate in front of me and we acted out “bus drivers” – turning the plate side to side like a steering wheel. My shoulders woke up at the small weight and started screaming. (I’d later rename them “Coffee Killers” as the muscle soreness set in.) We used bands to awaken quads and glutes, and I learned proper form to protect my back and joints. I loved the fun music, and Josie and I would have some good laughs as my adrenaline kicked in during our sessions and she pushed me harder.

At first, the sessions were about eating better and losing a bit of the fluff. But over time, I grew really strong and began to move the dedicated time into my longevity bucket, not the “I want to fit into that dress by winter holiday” bucket. It was still a bit of a head-shaker to realize that I had been living here in the hills with an abundance of space, sports, water and opportunity, but had been mostly sitting in a chair and losing track of time and my health in my core working and parenting years. (Never mind what Covid did to the space-time continuum.) The more I read about the “secrets” of longevity, the more I came to know that the heavy lifting would keep me strong and resilient in the years ahead of me. Science backs up muscle as a protective fuel tank, and to maintain it, protein has become my power move at breakfast, lunch, dinner and in-between.

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My further reading enhanced what I knew in my core to be true – that keeping weight down, muscle up and protein in was important, but so was rest, and sleep. I worked on getting some better sleep habits, and sought help from a naturopath in Mono to help me pursue more consistent sleep. 

I have become more organized with social outings, also a contributor to longevity. I’ve tried some new things, keeping my brain healthy and active; I started reading more with my fresh library card and have tried new activities. Longevity studies also show proof that staying social is important to maintain your wellness and health in the older years. So I made plans … dinner plans, day trips, vacations with friends, going to random activities like spelling bees and trivia nights. 

It’s not easy, working on this longevity game. It takes a real effort but I’ve come to realize that I won’t be healthy and strong just by living and existing here in the hills. It takes effort and consistency. There are many rewards that are a part of my longevity plan that can also be enjoyed in moderation … I love a good veg out on the couch or scrolling funny Instagram reels for an hour or two. I love dinner out and a crisp glass of white wine at Adamo Estate Winery.

My Aunt Evelyn probably had it right – while she enjoyed perhaps a bit too much caffeine and maybe current wisdom would have said cut back on the G and Ts, she was consistently interested in life and gardening, and was active and present. She was happy and lived independently and proudly. She joined Facebook in her 70s to keep up with the younger folks. She wrote letters and shared stories of her youth and offered sharp wisdom right up to the end of her long, well-lived life. 

To read more about embracing fitness when you’re over fifty, read Anna Lee Boschetto’s new feature, Aging Gets a Makeover at Small-Town Gyms.