On no account or rather on very few accounts has anyone ever loved the idea of growing old, or rather no one wants to age past their twenties, even though it is a natural part of living, with age there is the fear of becoming decrepit and forgetful, then to lose all self-control and die. Growing older has become a more frightful aspect of becoming grey haired and filled with wrinkles and skin blotches. Juan Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer from the sixteenth century, is legendary for having sailed to what is now the modern day state, Florida near Saint Augustine, in search of a “magical fountain of youth”, in order to extend life (Drye). Even the great American author, known for his renown works such as Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain had been quoted as saying, “Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen” (Twain) What this old guy, Twain might have been saying was that people in the elder stages of life might have appreciated their bodies more if they had the same physical fitness of youth, being able to function healthily had an older age rather than at their youth when most tend to take advantage of that time enjoying their lives, in the movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, directed by David Fincher according to imbd.com and starring Brad Pit, Benjamin Button had been born an old man and had regressed into a younger man has time had progressed, learning to appreciate the time had been older. Since a normal person cannot age backwards like Benjamin Button, medical advances have been improving greatly and making life easier every day, and now these advances have begun to extend life as well; there are other discoveries ... ... middle of paper ... ...Lace up those sneaks: Jogging 1 to 2 1/2 hours per week lengthens a woman's life by 5.6 years and a man's by 6.2, according to a Danish study. You don't have to go all-out either: A slow to average pace should do the trick. Aim for 20- to 30-minute jogs, says researcher Peter Schnohr, MD. And make it a habit: People in his study had been jogging for 10 years on average” (Add Six Years to your life). People can add jogging to their daily lives and keep themselves motivated their lives could be extended; an individual could go for a jog on their break from work or afterwards, even by alternating from walking and jogging this could help extend life almost six years. This would improve their lifestyles and be healthier, a person who jogs is more often able to be able to maintain a better focus and be in a better physical shape compared to their counterparts.
Imagine a world where people are only expected to live up to 45 years old. In today's society, there are countries that experience this. In the novel Anthem, by Ayn Rand; there are many factors like lifestyle, government, medicine, and education that lead to this. There are a couple of ways where the world in the novel is similar and different to today's society.
...of exercise. These factors all contribute to the young life expectancy of about 49 years (World Health Organization, 2001).
become older, and how they look back at their youth. Without similes like this, the
The search for the "fountain of youth" or the "elixir of life" is something that we have read about in many myths and fiction stories throughout the year. They are also things real life explorers looked for dating back centuries, the most famous of which is Ponce de Leon whose search of this elusive fountain took him to Florida in the late 1400 's and early 1500 's. However, He was not the first looking for this fountain that is said to give you the power of endless youth, the desire to stay young is a desire that may date back to the beginning of mankind itself. Although, as civilization has advanced through the centuries most people have given up on magical fountain and elixirs that extends your life while making you young again, and turned to
Common sense seems to dictate that we are all going to die one day. As we all get older we crave to keep our youth, and to stay young forever is the ultimate dream. The thought of a possible immortality is just an added benefit. Even though we have strived towards this goal for centuries, have we obtained advances in successfully staying young forever? In Bill Gifford’s book “Spring Chicken: Stay Young Forever (Or Die Trying)” he explores these ideas of life and aging further. In this novel, he goes on a journey to try and debunk the mysteries and questions behind the new science of aging. He gathers information from tests and scientists from around the country to discover what really works to prevent or delay aging and what is just a hopeful hoax. He helps us figure out why we age and why aging
Life longevity, a controversial subject that everyone has been trying to figure out. A subject that has most of the American society obsessed with the idea that we are capable of living many more decades and the other half of society feeling that it’s a bad idea for the society. When it comes to the findings of life longevity there's still not a certain answer to what causes it, as of now there's only assumptions. This research has been going on throughout many years and has been one of the hardest research to crack down. Not even the centenarians knew what was the secret that kept them living such a long life, many would say it was elixirs that they took, others believed there
This movie demonstrates how sad it can be when a person realizes that they are in the old-age category. Some said they noticed it the first time in meetings that they were the oldest person in the place. Another person said that he realized there are limitations now due to the fact that he cannot do everything that he used to be able to do when he was younger. Another statement comes from a woman who is so embarrassed about her “ossified brain”, due to her inability to read without turning back to remember what she just read. Despite their increased age, and limitations their body puts on them, some older adults report that growing old has provided them with tremendous clarity on the world around them, and some say that they have “never felt
According to the CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults should do at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75 minutes week of intense aerobic activity. Everyone should try to do at least the recommended amount of weekly exercise. Not exercising can be detrimental to one’s health. Exercising moderately for at least 150 minutes a week or working out intensely for 75 minutes can add, on average, 3.4 years to one’s lifespan, while people who do not exercise have the highest premature death rate. Being active has both mental and physical benefits, adding exercise to your routine can create a happier, healthier lifestyle. Exercise, no matter how strenuous or simple, is an important activity for all people.
In today’s society, what was once said to be true and taken as fact regarding older people is no longer the whole story. As Laslett states, “At all times before the middle of the twentieth century and all over the globe the greater part of human life potential has been wasted, by people dying before their allotted time was up.” (1989a), and to a great extent a lot
The article I chose for this assignment included two passages from the book, The Gift of Years, by Joan D. Chittister (1936). Chittister wrote this book when she was 81 years old and it is a particularly poignant read because the book provides a realistic and an optimistic view about how we grow old.
Late adulthood should be a time in a person's life where they feel fulfilled. They can look back on their memories and be happy with the way they have lived their life. Now, too many elderly people are not satisfied and look at this stage as depressing. Most fear death of either a loved one or for themselves. This topic is interesting to me because elderly people should make the best of their last stage of life. This topic discusses about getting older, the life changes that they go through physically, emotionally, and mentally. We should know more about it so that we can help our family and friends get through one of the best, yet toughest part of our mortal life.
Increased life expectancies have many reconsidering whether the fountain of youth is merely a legend. For many families, longer life spans have allowed them to spend more time with loved ones, time that may not paint the picture imagined.
The running phenomenon has blended into society in many different aspects of our lives. This does not only include track and field, but also cross country, road-racing, and jogging for health and leisure. Many Americans make running an essential part of their day. Running is not only good for your heart and lungs, but it is very beneficial for relieving stress, keeping your metabolism high, and keeping you trim and muscular. Another expanding characteristic of running is using it as a social experience. It is a part of people’s routine to meet with friends and to catch up with one another.
Stibich, Mark, Ph.D. "The Fountain of Youth: Myth or Fact?" About.com Healthy Aging. About.com, 18 Aug. 2008. Web. 03 Feb. 2014. .
The general pattern for people is that when they becoming older they are less able to vary life. Nikolas Westerhoff in his article “Set in Our ways: Why Change is So Hard” described the connection between humans’ brains and behavior during the certain periods of life. The key assumption is that in 20s people are more hazardous and tend to adventures, while after 30s this trend is less expressed. Author gives an example when the young generation can be even over risky and inconsiderate. The article includes the story about 22-year-old Cristopher McCandless, who gave his money for charity and hitchhiked around the USA and died in Alaska because of famine. When 40s – 60s are coming people lose their appetite for novelty due to the natural process, which reveal that old habits express themselves at those ages. The elder generation wants to feel stability continuing do customary things and taking care of their children or grandchildren. Also they are under the society’s pressure, when it is quite inappropriate being infantile or just make crazy travels instead of making a career and having a family. Author mentioned false hope syndrome, which means that people often procrastinate certain thinks that never be finished. That is why Westerhoff suggests doing everything “on a right time in a right place” because then it would be probably late.