Energize Your Life at Any Age by Julie Kendrick for Renew magazine

Energize Your Life

It’s possible to feel vibrant and be active at any age.

Kick your life into gear with these energy-generating tips.

By Julie Kendrick • Illustrations by Pâté

If

you’re dragging yourself through every day, watching the energized, fast-moving friends in your social circle and assuming you’ll just never have that level of vitality again, you might want to reconsider your point of view. According to experts in the field of gerontology (the study of the aging process), there’s no need to resign yourself to feeling worn out. In fact, they say that an energy-rich lifestyle is possible at any age.

Still, there’s no denying that loss of energy is an issue for many people. “The number one thing patients talk to me about is fatigue and exhaustion,” says Alicia Arbaje, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., an associate professor of medicine in the division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at Johns Hopkins

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“The energy of the mind is the essence of life.” —Aristotle

University School of Medicine. “It’s right up there with back pain and arthritis as one of the most common things I hear about during appointments.” The good news, Dr. Arbaje says, is that a lack of energy can be addressed and reversed. “I encourage everyone who is suffering from a lack of energy to bring this issue up with their doctor. It’s not something you should resign yourself to, not at all.” Paying attention to the food you eat, how much you’re moving and the quality of sleep you’re getting can all be factors in restoring energy you might have thought was gone for good.

Where to Start First of all, it’s a good idea to define what we mean when we talk about “energy.” Most

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Drink Up, Eat Right

of us aren’t going to be running marathons into our 80s. But no matter your current health or physical limitations, it’s possible to experience what Dr. Arbaje describes as “going through life in a clear and authentic way; not being bogged down by brain fog, heavy moods or constant mental chatter.”

If you’re measuring energy by how many things you’re able to cross off your to-do list, you may want to rethink your perspective. Being energized, she says, is “less about the number of things you can do in a day, and more about being able to approach life with ease, even when you’re encountering circumstances that are difficult.”

If the ease and clarity she describes seem like a thing of the distant past, don’t worry. There are steps you can take at any age to turn things around. A good place to begin is with a complete review of your medications. Dr.

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Arbaje suggests an annual visit with your primary care provider or geriatrician. There, you’ll want to be sure to review every medication you’re taking, including the frequencies and dosages of each.

Ask your provider: Do I still need the medication? Does it still need to be at the current dosage? Are there changes I can make to my lifestyle so I won’t need the medication anymore? Of course, it’s always important to talk with your doctor before stopping any medication.

If you’re feeling especially energydepleted, try pouring yourself a tall glass of water. “Many of us are suffering from chronic dehydration, but we wrongly attribute those symptoms to fatigue,” Dr. Arbaje says. “Think of a plant that’s wilting from lack of water. That’s often what we’re doing to ourselves.” She urges her patients to avoid caffeinated coffee and sodas and to reach for water instead. “Squeeze half a lime or lemon in the water to add some electrolytes,” she suggests.

When it comes to eating for energy, it helps to think of your body as a car, and the food you eat as fuel. Don’t you deserve the “premium grade” — the kind that will help you run smoothly?

“Foods can be energy-giving or energy-depleting, so feeding yourself right gives your body the energy it needs,” Dr. Arbaje says. Put your focus on nutritionheavy foods, especially fruits and vegetables, that will help you cruise along, even on long hauls.

Fresh, unprocessed foods that are nutrient- and antioxidant-dense can help renew energy levels. When

“[Being energized is] less about the number of things you can do in a day, and more about being able to approach life with ease, even when you’re encountering circumstances that are difficult.”

— Dr. Alicia Arbaje

“Energy is like the bending of a crossbow. Decision, the release of the trigger.” —Sun Tzu

it comes to eating meat, do so in moderation. Meat takes longer to digest, which can sap energy.

Move and Groove The more you move, the more you’ll have additional energy to keep moving. That “energy in, energy out” model doesn’t require you to engage in strenuous gym workouts for hours a day. Instead, make a goal to spend less time just sitting or lying down and more time in which you’re moving around, even a small amount.

“Being active during the day helps you feel more energized,” Dr. Arbaje says. “And having more movement increases the likelihood that you’ll be getting enough good-quality rest, which helps you start the day feeling ready to go.”

Don’t Forget the ZZZs Resting well at the end of the day is just what your body needs to restore and repair itself.

According to the National Library of Medicine, making sure you’re getting enough sleep the night before is a key factor in keeping you energized throughout the day. That’s because while you’re snoozing, your body is building up a key chemical called glycogen.

Glycogen helps store energy in the brain. Good-quality sleep also uses up another important chemical, adenosine. This leads to a perfect balance between the two chemicals, so you’ll wake up raring to go and full of all the energy you’ll need for whatever lies ahead. •

Inspiring Energy These stories can be inspiration for all of us to dig deep and create more energy in our own unique ways.

The Iron Nun: Sister Madonna Buder, 90 When she was 48, the woman now known as the “Iron Nun” took up running at a priest’s suggestion. She found a pair of shorts and some used sneakers in a donation box and took off for a run on the beach. Today, her list of marathon and Ironman feats would be impressive for someone a fraction of her age.

Her secret? “I only feel tired if I think about it, so I don’t think about it very often,” she says. “But you can’t just expect energy to be poured into you. You have to get up and do something, anything that comes naturally to you. And don’t forget to breathe.”

The Bodybuilder: Ernestine “Ernie” Shepherd, 84 After a personal tragedy in her 50s, Ernie Shepherd turned to the gym with a reignited passion for getting fit and feeling happier. In 2010, she became the World’s Oldest Performing Female Bodybuilder. Today, she works to inspire older women to reach their physical potential through exercise, healthy eating, getting enough sleep and having a positive attitude.

The Good Doctor: William B. Greenough III, M.D., 89 “My advice is to take up a sport you can do all your life — tennis, dancing, swimming — whatever you enjoy,” says Dr. Greenough, who recently traded marathon running for walking, cycling and swimming. “Movement is the elixir of life.

It’s the number one thing you can do to keep up your energy.”

That energy helped fuel him through an esteemed career as a physician at the Johns Hopkins until he was 88, where he often worked 10- to 11-hour days.

The Sweet Life: Marjorie Johnson, 101 As she approaches her 102nd birthday, life is as sweet as ever for Marjorie Johnson. The Minnesotan has won thousands of state and county fair baking awards, wrote the popular cookbook The Road to Blue Ribbon Baking and has made appearances on The Tonight Show and The View.

These days, she stays busy baking and taking daily walks. “I look forward to each day. I do all my own cooking and baking. I eat a cup of blueberries every day and salmon twice a week. It’s very delicious and healthy.”

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