# I'm young. I want to be spry when I'm old. What do I do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 18, 2010, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-young-i-want-to-be-spry-when-im-old-what-do-i-do/564611 "2010-12-18T08:11:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-young-i-want-to-be-spry-when-im-old-what-do-i-do/564611/41 "2010-12-23T02:10:04Z")
> [@akrako1](#): > > I can’t overemplasise the benefits of yoga as you age. it’ll not only keep you flexible, but can help your posture. How many old people have you seen that can’t even look you in the eye? Their heads are stuck in a downcast position. Sometime it is due to an actual condition, but it’s frequently a bad, hunched posture carried over years. > > Also, don’t crash diet. You frequently loose the connective tissue cushioning fats before fat in the undesirable areas - causing joint stress. > > And most importantly, Food. > Most people don’t give it enough importance, but we litterally are what we eat. Food consumption nourishes and directly influences our immune systems, metabolism, growth rate, decay rate, etc. > > Be extra vigilent about what you eat and what chemical products you use. i know i’ll get lots of flak here about this… but when it comes to safety, you should actually listen to the concerns of the most-paranoid (those “anti-science” Europeans, Naturopaths, other corporate watchdog groups). the FDA is corrupt and beholden to private corporations. The actually independent groups, using actual user experience and anecdotal data from health practitioners, typically know when something is dangerous or toxic, even if it’ll take years for the FDA to accept the toxicity of said chemical/food. For example, my naturopath told me to stop using plasic tupperware almost 20 years ago and use stainless-steel water bottles - before it was in the mainstream news that a LOT of plasic is toxic. Google Phthalates, bisphenol, or BPA. BPA was declared toxic in Canada. But the, um, american BPA isn’t toxic. Yeah, right. I’m happy that I “overreacted” and reduced my exposure. > > See: > [http://www.ehow.com/list\_7482248\_plastic-bottles-toxic.html](http://www.ehow.com/list_7482248_plastic-bottles-toxic.html) > [http://toxictort.lawyercentral.com/Plastic-Chemical-BPA-Declared-Toxic-In-C-Legal-News--14-195252.html](http://toxictort.lawyercentral.com/Plastic-Chemical-BPA-Declared-Toxic-In-C-Legal-News--14-195252.html) > > Also, google ‘Aspartame toxicity’ or ‘Aspartame side effects’. It’s the most complained about item to the FDA, has been demonstrated to become a neurotoxin when metabolized, yet still isn’t banned. > [http://aspartame.mercola.com/](http://aspartame.mercola.com/) > > Another terrifying fact… read the label - aspertame should never be heated or used in cooking. Geez I hope those unrefrigerated trucks carrying your diet coke across the county don’t count. Except they do. > > And shit, Teflon will kill your birds. (think of the whole ‘canary in the mineshaft’ warning system). The EPA has finally asked DuPont to start phasing it out. Shit!! what about the decades and decades people were using this? I’m happy I stopped using non-stick and switched to Cast Iron or stainless steel a while back.. you should do the same! Even if “science” doesn’t fully understand the side effects, or the mechanism, I’d avoid 'em anyways! > [http://www.ewg.org/node/21780](http://www.ewg.org/node/21780) > > Other food additives, specifically coloring agents, have been proved to greatly effect neurochemistry! > [Childhood Hyperactive Behaviors Exacerbated By Food Additives And Artificial Color](http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/81599.php) > > So what should you do? Listen to the overly cautious. Should you be eating GM corn, or the recently approved cloned meat? I know I wouldn’t. How could they possibly have been doing studies to find out the long-term effects of these foods? They simply haven’t had enough time. Our testing process for food and drugs is compromised by the private corporations that have financial interests in furthering their own goals, not ours. > > Organ Damage In Rats From Monsanto GMO Corn > [Organ Damage In Rats From Monsanto GMO Corn](http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2427373/posts) > > Check out this site: > [http://www.naturalnews.com/](http://www.naturalnews.com/) > > Yes, they’re “natural” proponents - which might turn some people off, but really, those types of practitioners are usually more up on this then your average g.p. > > Oh yeah, unless you’re immune compromised, don’t get the flu shot. Or at least demand one without any of the neurotoxin Mercury (called Thermasol - it’s used as a preservative, so they can use multiple dose bottles, saving themselves money). > > Good luck. I don’t have the time or wherewithal to debunk all of this, but 99% of this post is pure crap. I will address the Thiomersal/mercury issue, though: First off, not all flu vaccines have it. Only the multiple dose vials do. The nasal inhalation vaccine, and single-dose vials do not contain it. Secondly, and most importantly, thiomersal is not toxic in the tiny, tiny amounts used. Yes, it breaks down into mercury in the body, but the kind of mercury it breaks down into (ethylmercury,) is much less toxic and cleared from the body much, MUCH faster than the more dangerous kind of mercury, methylmercury, which is the kind of mercury that’s often found in seafood. Fun fact about that. There is more mercury (the bad kind, methylmercury, at that) in a measly five average cans of tuna than what was in ten years worth of thiomersal containing vaccines. (But you were right on one thing…you did receive flak!) Sorry for doing a quick and dirty reference, but my info comes from [QuackCast.](http://moremark.squarespace.com/quackcast-home/) The references he uses for his podcast on vaccines can be found [here.](http://moremark.squarespace.com/quackref/#30) And you’ll be happy to know that none of them are the FDA, which, as you say, is corrupt. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-young-i-want-to-be-spry-when-im-old-what-do-i-do/564611/42 "2010-12-23T05:37:30Z")
The most important thing you have to take care of is your heart. This means lots and lots of aerobic exercise. You need to raise your heart rate up and keep it up for about 60 minutes, five times a week. Second is muscle training. You don’t need big muscles, but using weights increases bone density and it allows the tendons to stretch and strengthen as well. Yoga is very good for learning how to relax. Tension is a major issue as you age. You’d be surprised how much stress effects you and you don’t know. Love is also another thing. You need love in your life. I don’t mean a physical love or even a mental love of another person, though that’s fine. It can be a love of animals, a love of your career, or a love of humanity in general. But you need to find a passion Finally learn to cope. It amazes me there are people my age, in their 40s, who never learned to cope with problems. Life is PROBLEMS, but you have to learn to cope with what you can and do the best with what you can’t ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2010, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-young-i-want-to-be-spry-when-im-old-what-do-i-do/564611/43 "2010-12-23T06:37:52Z")
I’m posting without reading the replies. Choose your parents/grandparents well. Genetics is most of life. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-young-i-want-to-be-spry-when-im-old-what-do-i-do/564611/44 "2010-12-24T00:50:01Z")
If you give up whiskey, smoking, and wild women, you will be guaranteed to live that long. But if you give those up, then why would you want to? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-young-i-want-to-be-spry-when-im-old-what-do-i-do/564611/45 "2010-12-24T14:31:44Z")
Don’t get fat. It’s hell on your knees, feet, and heart. Don’t smoke. It’s hell on your lungs. Don’t drink too much. It’s hell on your liver. Don’t get addicted to the internet or video games. Your ass will grow exponentially and it’s hell on your wrists. Avoid drama queens. They’re hell on your nerves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-young-i-want-to-be-spry-when-im-old-what-do-i-do/564611.md?page=2)