9 Myths About Aging You Need to Know

Some people may fear getting old because of the many myths and misconceptions about aging. These misconceptions are baseless and do not actually show the true picture of senior life.

Here are nine of the most commonly heard myths about aging that you need to know:

Sleeplessness Comes With Aging

In your younger years, you must have experienced not having enough sleep. When cramming for exams or when you went partying over the weekend, it meant you had not enough sleep for more than a night. You probably felt the nasty effects of not getting enough sleep.

When you heard that old age comes with sleeplessness, those sickening days after sleepless nights may come back to your memory. If you believe in what you hear, aging can truly be a thing that should be feared.
But it is not true. Sleeplessness among older adults cannot be generalized. Just like when you are younger, it would have been hard for you when you had some problems or you were undergoing some physical distress. But when everything’s alright, a senior can always have a good night’s sleep.

Older Adults Are Hard-Headed

It’s not true that seniors cannot learn new things anymore and that they can hardly adjust to their environment. Seniors will always want to learn what interest them. If they are being forced to learn what they do not like, then that’s a different story. If motivated properly, seniors can learn new skills, too. About their adaptability, they can adjust to situations but it may depend on their physical, mental, and emotional condition.

Seniors Are Lonely Creatures

Everyone will surely fear to grow old if this is true. This misconception must have stemmed from many cases of depression among seniors. Depression in seniors can be brought about by isolation because of some physical and mental conditions. But if there are no triggering factors, there is no reason a senior would choose to be lonely.

Exercise Causes Injuries in Seniors

If this is true, then seniors should just be lying in bed. Exercise benefits everybody. It is excellent to increase muscle strength, prevent loss of bone mass, helps regulate blood pressure and blood sugar, and many more. Of course, exercises should suit a senior’s age. Will you be expecting yourself to be lifting weights when your 80? That’s pretty hilarious. Bones become brittle with age. This means that they can be easily injured. But with the right exercise, injury is prevented.

There’s No Escape From Dementia

Dementia is the state of loss of short memory, and impairment of thought and communication. It is more common in older adults aging 65 years old and above. Being forgetful is not dementia. Many seniors may become more forgetful but they do not have dementia. Older adults can live up to their 80’s and 90’s without problems with their cognitive functions. Dementia is a clinical condition, just like arthritis, pneumonia, or diabetes that can affect some of the population.

Sickness Is a Part of Senior Life

Being a senior does not mean you have to be sick. Seniors may be more vulnerable to disease because their immunity dropped but is not automatic that they will be sick. Sickness in senior life is a result of what you have been doing during your younger years. If you did not take care of your health, do not expect that you will have a healthy body and mind when you grow old.

Lifestyle Change Does Not Benefit Seniors

If you are a heavy drinker and smoker, you should quit both. You should take an active lifestyle by exercising. Take enough sleep each night and have a healthy diet. Avoid stress. We get this familiar advice every time. This applies to everybody even seniors. It may be even more important to seniors as their bodies may be weaker to keep pace with unhealthy habits.

Seniors Should Stop Driving

Seniors who know how to cook and is not handicapped to do so should continue cooking. This is the same as a senior who knows how to drive. If there is no health condition that hampers driving skills, there is no point that seniors should stop driving.

Senior Life Means Sedentary Life

Some seniors may have not enjoyed life more than how they are enjoying it now. This is because they are now free from their many responsibilities when they were younger. Many seniors are still working while others are doing activities that interest them. Becoming a senior does not mean that you have to be sedentary. It may be a matter of choice or it is caused by some lingering diseases.

Aging is a natural process, but a lot of us are afraid of it because of some myths that they have heard. But like what we said, those are just myths. If you do things right, you can still live your life to the fullest even as you get old.