Living and loving it: Why is my body refusing to do the things it could five years ago?

You know you are growing older when certain things do not come as easy as they used to. Only five years ago, each time I felt my tummy was expanding more than I would have liked it to, I would do some exercises and see and feel results almost immediately. My body would feel invigorated after aerobics done early in the morning. My head would be clear-headed as we drove to work and the ideas in my head would be fighting to get my attention! Best of all, within days, a pair of favourite jeans or an office dress would fit better, more snugly.
 
Nowadays the story is sadly, different. It takes weeks of consistent exercise for the tummy to get back into an acceptable shape. The aerobics leave me feeling less energised and instead more tired. While before I would have interesting conversations and debates in the car with the hubby, on many such days I have to fight to keep awake. I am not in any way discouraging exercising in one’s older years; a little exercise is always much better than none. I am however sharing that the older you grow the more deliberate you have to be about doing some of these things. The body is no longer as flexible or as quick in reacting the way you would like it to. You have therefore got to be determined to keep going till you see the results you want.

There is also the issue of my eyes; those organs I value so much because a lot of my work (writing and editing) and one of my favourite pastimes (reading) depends on them. I have always prided myself on reading the tiniest of letters and the farthest of words very well. Then about two years ago, the struggle started. I blame Covid-19 and the lockdowns that ensued. With work, meetings, the children’s classes and more, being done online, my eyes were exposed to the screen for very many hours of the day. Something, it seems, had to give. I am still able to read without much trouble, but sometimes it takes a while for my eyes to adjust to the lighting, and there are some really tiny prints I can only read in the daylight. Still I refuse to get reading glasses. I keep visiting the eye clinic though. The optician tells me parts of my eyes are weakening and while I do not necessarily need glasses now, a time will come when I need them. For now, I have decided to keep that day as far away as possible. Restricting how much time I expose my eyes to the screen, and doing most of my reading with daylight seems to help too. 

Now that I have turned the good age of 45, I am keen to listen to my body, and give it more of what it needs (healthy food, lots of water, exercise) and less of what it wants (especially cake. This however shall start after the birthday cake is finished!). I am also keenly aware that each day regardless of what it brings is to be celebrated. The painful and very sad news of the death of our colleague Edward Muhumuza on the very day I celebrated yet another year brought that into focus. And so, now as I head into the late 40s, I am determined to embrace each day with all that it brings. We are told in Psalms 90:12 in the Bible, to “…number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” I am hopeful that I shall indeed gain that wisdom in all ways.
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