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3. Exercise!!!... Say What???

© Judi S. Kaminishi

My mother was 65 years old when she took up jogging. She became the promulgate jogger, you know the type... they bore you to death describing every little detail of every little run... the type that gets depressed if they don't get their daily dose of pheromones. I'll never forget her first 5k run, she got her name in the newspaper for coming in first for her age bracket. Never mind that she was the only one in her division!

I was 44 years old when she wanted me and my 41 year old brother to run with her in San Francisco's "Bay to Breakers" 7k run. We tried to humor her by telling her that we weren't in good enough shape and wouldn't be able to keep up with her. The truth of the matter is that I had no intention of taking up jogging until maybe I was 65 as well.

The fact is that we all know how vital physical exercise is to one's general well being. It doesn't matter what discipline one chooses... jogging, tai chi, yoga, spinning,pumping iron, etc., there is something for everone. Everywhere one looks we see those who are most dedicated reaping the greatest benefits, they look, feel and act great. My mother is 76 today, 5' tall and all 95 pounds of her still a little dynamo of energy with a sparkle in her eye... still bragging how she can kick the highest in her workout classes.

Okay, so here's a question. Why do people spend so much time exercising their bodies and not their minds? This is a logical question given that most people, as they age, complain about becoming forgetful or slower in putting two and two together. Every magazine will have article after article instructing on the basics of workouts for various body parts, but never have I read one article on workouts for keeping the mind strong and sharp.

Has it ever occurred to anyone that our brains are really the only part of our human anatomy that truly improves with age... or at least has the potential?? I have experienced proof of this phenomena by first hand, and quite to my surprise I might add.

Before I returned to college for a second bachelors at the age of 38, I was very concerned about being able to keep up with things in general. I felt I had been out of practice studying, taking tests, etc., so long that it would require a double effort from me. Getting through the first time was an ordeal by itself.

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