Aging not just a state of mind

By Bryan McKenzie

Published: April 11, 2008

Getting old isn’t just in your head, it’s in your body and spirit, and the way you live is the way you’ll age, according to a leading University of Virginia Medical Center geriatric physician.
“Aging is a lot like a ski lift. Our genetics will get us to the top of the hill, but it’s up to us to decide how we want to go down — fast and dangerous and quick or slow and steady,” Dr. Mark E. Williams told an audience at a public conference sponsored by the Aging In Place Business Roundtable and UVa Senior Services on Thursday.
“Challenging the body by exercising is especially important because it affects the emotions, the intellect and the spirit,” Williams said.
“Managing emotions is important because most of the time we are so upset and focused on our emotions and memories that we don’t pay attention to the present, which is where we should be.”
Williams said efforts to improve memory, from crossword puzzles to Sudoku, are great. He also suggested watching nutrition, exercising and paying attention to emotions as ways to keep memory sharp and improve it.
“You need to exercise your memory. You need to use intention to improve your memory,” he said. “If you want to remember something and you pay attention and let go of other memories and emotions, you’ll retain it.”
Williams’ talk was the keynote address at the roundtable conference. The organization is composed of members of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, nonprofits serving seniors and the university.
The conference was held at Zehmer Hall at UVa.
“The idea was to bring people together from different backgrounds and to learn from each other,” said Genevieve Blair, chamber chairwoman.
“We were learning a lot between our organizations and thought it would be a good idea to present the information to the public. We want people to know that, if you plan along the way, you’ll age more happily.”
Williams agreed. He also said that spending your mental time in the present helps keep intellect, memory, spirit and body healthy.
“When I leave in the morning I kiss my wife goodbye and I don’t want it to be perfunctory, I want it to be goodbye. I want every reunion at the end of the day to be a joyous reunion because there are no guarantees I’ll come home,” he said.
“The death rate for people in America never changes: It’s always one death per person. Paying attention to your life makes life more enjoyable.”