Staying Healthy for Years of Travel and Exploring

Wow...I do NOT want that to be my story!!! 😓I absolutely love to travel.  It doesn't really matter where I am heading-I am sure to make it a fun time.  Planning travel for me is almost as much fun as the travel itself.  My personal goal is to go to all 7 continents...and I need to get going!!

JMA Wireless Dome with Onondaga Lake in the background on our latest flight home from Jacksonville, FL. 

 I am "not young"...as a matter of fact, I am a 65 year old, Medicare, Social Security, Pension kind of "not young"!!  As the years tick on-my ability to travel may get more challenging.  I hope not!  

I have been blessed with amazing DNA by birth.  My Paternal Grandparents were born in the 1880's and lived to be into their late 80's.  My Maternal Grandfather died in his late 70's-but it could have been curtailed by following Doctor recommendations for diet with his adult-onset diabetes- stubborn guy!! My Maternal Grandmother...born in 1900 lived to be 102.  My parents were 91 and 93 when they passed.  Dad at 93 did have medical issues (likely Lyme disease complications) that made his last 5 years a challenge...Mom was the picture of health, but had a bad fall on stairs and lived only one month after her fall.  Amazing genes that I have running thru my body!!!

Maternal Grandmother lived to 102

Given my wish to continue traveling...every single day I do things that I am hoping will keep me in the traveling world. I'm a bit superstitious if I don't do some of these things! Unfortunately, (or fortunately) DNA is not the only factor in leading a long, healthy life.  Actually, it is only a small glimpse into what the future may bring. 

This blog is going to discuss things that I personally do to give me a leg up in continuing my travel dreams.  Some may not work for you, others might give you an idea of adaptations that you can make in your life to be able to travel into those golden years!!  I wish that I had started this regiment as a younger person-but I feel at least thinking about it now and DOING IT is a step in the right direction!

Eating/Personal Care

• I am a vegetable lover.  Not a vegetarian, but definitely lean more towards veggies.  (still working on portion control...always need something to work on!!😉)

• I do not take any meds, but every day I take a multi vitamin and Vitamin D.
• I use turmeric on any foods that it makes sense to add it to!!
• I drink 2 cups of coffee in the AM, and when at school I drink tea.

• I floss my teeth every night, and get a new toothbrush every 3 months.
• I wash my hands...😛
• I get plenty of sleep...with my phone turned off every night, and charging out
  
  in the kitchen. I am usually in bed (reading myself to sleep...) from 10PM-7AM. 
• Speaking of phones...before bed I wash both sides of the phone with an antibacterial glass cleaner.  I use Worley's Wonder, but I'm sure there are other products that remove bacteria.
• Before bed I have a 15 minute routine of stretches.  They were suggested by the PT for my broken arm, and a bout of a back/sciatica issue.  Both issues are cleared up...but I continue to do those exercises nightly to ward off any repeat issues.  In the morning I have "vertigo exercises" that I do for a few minutes before getting out of bed. 
• I eat Greek Yogurt every day.  
• I drink a LOT of cold water every day.
• I keep my life as low stress as possible to ward off my propensity for vertigo.  I discovered that even the stress of travel (which I don't really consider stressful at all) can kick it up.  It's been about 2 years since I have had any trouble...so I guess what I am doing is working.
• I see the chiropractor once a month for maintenance. He has been very helpful with my vertigo issues.   I have gone to the chiropractor for many years, and I feel that it has been instrumental in my ability to stay healthy. 

Things That I Do:

• Every single day I walk outside in the fresh air for 2-5 miles.  The walking is important, but I feel very strongly that it is equally important to be outside.  I think walking in nature is best-but 75% of the time I am just walking around my city. 

• Every day I have a plan to "do" something.  It might be as simple as doing laundry, taking a shower, or hopefully something much more fun!!  The point is...I am never going to not have a to-do list.  I am not going to sit around all day, every day.  I tend to switch it up-if I have to clean I might read a bit, clean a bit, go outside, read some more, etc.  Variety is the spice of life!!  Retirement certainly helps in my ability to have a relaxed, but productive day. I do make it a conscious choice not to sit for very long. 
• I'm a minimalist...I do not like clutter.  It frazzles me.  It is so much easier for me to relax if I don't see "stuff" everywhere.  Now...my closets are definitely a different story...but I don't see it, so it doesn't bother me.  As we have aged we are getting rid of things, and that makes less clutter. 
• We are busy.  We have a very active social life, mostly with friends, but sometimes with family. I communicate with different friends daily, in person as well as texting. It is important to me to stay active with friends, as they each have different viewpoints, and different strengths.   We have a group of 6 couples, all married for more years than us (we have been married  42 years).  Our original core group of 4 couples (which has now morphed to the 6 couples) have gone out to dinner every Friday since 2002 (that's 21 YEARS!!!).  It began as a support group for parents of teenagers!!!  Now, our kids and grandkids frequently join us-and we have created a great social group that is always inclusive and  welcoming to new friends!  We all come from different backgrounds-but it works!! Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.

• I feel like I have purpose-and if I don't (like during COVID), I create a purpose.  For 11 years I have been a substitute teacher after retiring from teaching.  We take care of our young grandchildren (6 and 1 1/2), and support our 16 year old granddaughter in many different ways.  We volunteer for our local theater.  I do many Facebook posts promoting restaurants and businesses.  I write travel blogs, and help people to plan trips. I want to feel needed.

Our grands Zayne and Owyn

• I turn on lights when I enter a room, and am careful when I walk so that I do not have a stupid fall.  I will say that my broken humerus  fall was on completely invisible  sheer black ice, but you can imagine that I now check those surfaces thoroughly before venturing out!  I do walk outside in the winter-but I have a route that goes on the road and I don't use sidewalks...which tend to be icy and uncared for.  Falls are devastating to those of a "certain age", as I saw my completely healthy Mom devastated by her fall on the stairs (at church ironically!!).  I did have a very bad fall in 2020 (blog: I Am Grateful, 12 blogs back from this one), but no injuries from that one thankfully-just a totally messed up face!!Take care always...
• When we travel, I build in time to relax-we do not go full barrel all day/all night.  To avoid vertigo I have gotten pretty good at scheduling a day that works for Al and I to see lots of fun sights, and still have some relaxing down time too.  Often, I will book a hotel with a jacuzzi...

• Speaking of a jacuzzi-we recently have one in the  new addition at our house.  But...before that I would chill in a hot bath for an hour or so a couple times a week reading my book!!!  (Made up my own spa life!!)
• I do Sudoku and Word Searches to keep my brain active.
• I have a lot of interests, which gives me plenty of choices on any given day.  Friends and family, travel, Syracuse sports (football, basketball, lacrosse), theater (much of our travel involves going to theater), taking photos, reading, concerts, food,  wineries, and breweries.  I even do things out of my comfort zone-in 2020 I started online German lessons.  

• I am grateful!! Every morning when I wake up before getting out of bed I  think about people I know that need some extra prayers.  Sadly, some days that list is super long!  I also remind myself how much that I have going for me...and the amazing things that I have going on in my life. Some days that list is not as long...but I am always looking for things that fit into that category.

How long do you plan to travel?  We will all have an end point-what will yours be?  Will it be your health that will stop you from traveling?  

Perhaps you were able to grab one thing from my blog that you can try to keep your body in the perfect shape for travel.  Perhaps you have something that you do to keep your body strong enough to take those trips!!  Shoot me a message so that I can add your ideas to my ideas.  Never hurts to try new things!

Stay healthy...and many years of happy travel!

💖

And remember...while you are picking up the speed, be sure to enjoy the ride!!!