Surf the waves of age
Dr Tom Mulholland is an Emergency Department Doctor and GP with over 25 years’ experience in New Zealand. He’s currently a man on a mission, tackling health missions around the world.
It’s not easy getting older. I often hear people complaining about it. My reply is you have two choices: you get old or you die young.
Having spent nearly 30 years as a doctor, I can think of many patients who would have loved to have had the choice of getting old but they died young. I’m sure they wouldn’t have complained about getting old if they had the chance.
As a young medical student, I studied reminiscence in two elderly populations: those in their own home and those in rest homes. One of my findings was that those who had lived a sedentary life adjusted well to old age while those who’d had an active life and who could no longer move freely were generally unhappier.
So, one of the key drivers in adjusting to ageing is to keep physically active as much as possible. This has many benefits, including reducing your risk of falls. Continuing sports you enjoy can be critical in maintaining good physical and mental health.
I have been fortunate to meet, and interview, the world’s oldest heli skier and his wife. He didn’t start heliskiing until he was 61 years old and when I met the pair three years ago, they were approaching 16 million vertical feet of skiing at age 86.
He was still going strong last winter, despite plenty of medical issues that would see most people check into a rest home.
Two years ago, in Indonesia, I was surfing with a 73-year-old man who was charging triple overhead waves and paddling like a young Grommet – in fact, he got more waves than those a third of his age.
His routine of yoga and anti-ageing techniques made him stand out in the crowd, plus his absolute enthusiastic attitude and stoke was palpable in the lineup.
I have always suggested you don’t want to slow down as you get older. My belief is that we have less time left so we want to speed up and get more things done before we run out of time.
At home in Taranaki for the weekend, my neighbour and good friend Pete, 69, continued with his routine of waking every day in the dark to head to the beach to check the surf then paddle out at first light if the conditions are good. When the waves are huge and many others decide to stay onshore he is out charging and surfing like there’s no tomorrow.
I am lucky that my children love surfing and keep me active by taking me to the beach and hooting and cheering as I paddle into waves. There is no greater enjoyment than paddling out with your kids no matter the conditions.
One of the advantages of surfing is that it uses many muscle groups and once you have the equipment, it’s free. If you haven’t tried it or are a ‘‘retired’’ surfer maybe it’s time you got back into the water.
Whatever your sport, there are masters levels in most things that can keep you active and socialising. You may want to try a new sport or rekindle previous ones to keep active and mobile. The benefits are huge and will make getting older a lot easier. What are you waiting for?