Working in the fields of training and skilled nursing, and speaking from personal experience, I can confidently say that the single best gift you can give your loved ones is taking care of yourself as you get older. We all have a responsibility to our friends and family to place some priority into training and nutrition so that we can maintain our independence and quality of life for as long as possible. There are circumstances that are out of our control in terms of disease and accidents; however, there are many things we do have control over in maintaining a certain level of function. In addition to the burden of being a caretaker for a loved one that has lost their independence, it is heartbreaking to watch someone you love lose their quality of life.

So what can be done?

At any age we should begin training and focusing on proper nutrition. These are areas we all have control over if we so choose. We should educate ourselves on what effective training is and choose a diet plan that will allow us to maintain our mobility and function as long as possible. Proper training and nutrition also helps with chronic pain, balance/fall prevention, and disease prevention. The body can positively adapt at any age based on your life choices. Making the appropriate choices with training and nutrition is the single greatest gift you can give yourself, family and friends.