Learning About Health From Old Folks

This article was originally written for and posted in my column, The Fitness Corner, in The Macon Telegraph.

We all would do well to take pointers from some of our long-lived relatives and neighbors.

My Grandma and Granddad

My maternal grandparents were from Anderson, South Carolina, which is about three hours northeast of Macon, and both lived long and full lives. My grandfather George lived until the age of 90 and maintained mobility and even the ability to drive almost up to the very end. My grandmother Ola lived even longer, reaching 95 years.

Now, by today’s standards, my grandparents were not “health nuts.” Granddad smoked for probably 70 of his 90 years, and grandma was overweight for most of her life. They ate plenty of fried foods, ate white bread and white rice, and didn’t have gym memberships.

But I will say again that both lived into their 90s, and that means something. When I consider it, there is definitely something to learn here.

So what was the key to their longevity? I’m not sure. Maybe it was their strong faith in God. Maybe it was the fact that they spent much time out in the sun and fresh air. Maybe it was their rich social lives with others in the community. Maybe it was the fact that they almost never ate fast food.

Maybe it was the fact that they ate a lot of fresh vegetables, many of which were grown in their backyard. Maybe it is because they grew up before the 1950s, when processed foods became especially popular. Whatever the reason for their longevity, my suspicion is that it can be attributed to all of these factors.

So does this mean that I don’t have to concern myself with exercise and eating whole grain breads and rice since my grandparents didn’t do so? Hardly.

Exercise and Eating Right Ain’t Everything

We have way too much evidence these days that shows that whole grains are healthier, that exercise keeps the body “younger,” and that both eating right and exercising can possibly add years to one’s life. However, what you and I can remember from this is that we are complex beings, and because we are, we require attention to many other areas of our lives, from our exposure to sunlight, to our faith and social lives, to of course the way we construct our diets.

Health is more of a matter of being whole, meaning that no part of your life is neglected or not cared for. We have to take care of the tangible — as well as the intangible — aspects of our lives to experience the kind of health that could possibly lead to longevity.

This is what my grandparents seemed to know without learning about it. They just “did it.”

What can you learn from your grandparents, or your older neighbors and friends, about healthy living? I suspect you can learn a lot — just as I can.