Paleo Quick Tip of the Day podcast #70 Old age, its cause and prevention

pqtd 70 Old Age its cause and prevention

Wow- what a provocative title is that!  Can old age itself actually be prevented??

In a way, yes! 

The thing is, your chronological age is just that- how many hours, seconds, minutes and years that you have been on this earth.  That is our own construct, and is completely artificial... what we should (and are!) concerned with is whether or not we are still healthy, vital, and to quote the male model characters in the film Zoolander- “We are still really, really good looking!”

Of course, health itself is paramount- how we feel, what we can do performance-wise, and what we are still able to accomplish in later years of age... but, appearance is important as well!  How we appear to others effects how they respond to us, and vice versa.  We all want to look our best, both now and in our later years- not young, per se, but just our best!

Sanford Bennett was a pioneer in this, just about 100 years ago.  In fact, he wrote a book called “Old Age its Cause and Prevention”, and it is one of those books that is seminal in its field, and is still very relevant today- I recommend it!  Published in 1912, the book shows through photographic evidence the remarkable rejuvenation of Mr. Bennett himself, who was sick, wrinkly, and bald at 50- but by the age of 72 he was healthy, strong, smooth skinned, and with a full head of hair!

I know, it sounds crazy, but think about it: if you work your muscles, don’t they grow stronger, larger and fuller? And what makes up the contours of your face but the muscles beneath the skin??  Work these muscles, massage these muscles and the skin atop them, and they will respond faster than you expect- because the facial muscles normally never get worked hardly at all!  

Sanford came up with a program for his whole body, when he was so sick at 50 years of age- he would exercise in bed each morning, from his scalp down to his toes, before he got up!  I also like to exercise in the early morning, but I also like to get up and go downstairs... perhaps Sanford only had the one room in those days?  I don’t know, but you can do the same thing in a modern context.  

You know I recommend daily virtual resistance, self resistance, stretching and calisthenics in the morning, in front of the tv. (Sanford didn’t have that, either- poor Sanford!)  Now what I also recommend is adding in exercises for the face, and the neck!  Self massage is also very important, so schedule in some scalp and foot massage as well into your routine- none of it takes very long at all, and will yield almost immediate results if done daily.  In fact, I know that if you do these exercises for a month, you will never abandon them again in your life- the results are that dramatic!

What are these exercises?  Just make faces!  Really!  FLEX the muscles of your face, and contort your face for a few seconds.  Then, massage the cheeks, rub the skin around your eyes and forehead, and repeat- I know, it sounds like I’m a lunatic (perhaps I am!), but trust me it works!  ESPECIALLY I believe this works especially well for women, who have more rounded types of faces... if even a little musculature is developed in them, the results in terms of facial beauty are dramatic!

Besides flexing the muscles of the face in crazy ways, self resisted neck exercises are crucial to preserve the musculature of the neck, which is probably the chief sign of youth.  Drooping jowls are an elderly thing only- they are completely preventable!

Just resist with the hands as you move your head back, to either side, and to the front for 5 or 6 reps, slowly.  Then, do the same with your jaw as you open and shut your mouth against resistance supplied by your hand- it only takes a minute or so...

And, if you can, the very best exercise for your face AND neck (and also, incidentally you spine!) is the Back Bridge!

Work up to it, and HOLD for time- a couple of minutes, stretching back to try to get your nose to the ground upside down is ideal, but just do what you can...

This single exercise is literally a spinal adjustment and a face lift each morning!  

I will get some photos up, and a video for you to see what I’m talking about- also, if you want to read Sanford Bennett’s original book, you can- here is the link- https://archive.org/details/oldageitscausea01benngoog

I always say our future is in our past, and this is the proof.  Genius ideas from 1912!  We now really know just how we can save face!