Westerly Sun Column | Talk About Tips on How to Age Gracefully

We all want to live to a ripe old age, but recently the focus has become more about the quality of that life. With that in mind, we have started a Healthy Aging Group at the library. In addition to choosing books to read and discuss, the group also shares experiences, tips, and ideas about how they are working to age healthy. Sometimes everyone chooses a goal to work on for the next two weeks. Information about healthy living can be overwhelming to sift through so it has been very helpful for some of the group members to share experiences. In previous meetings, members expressed interest in exploring meditation and mindfulness practice. The group decided to read the classic, “Wherever You Are There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life” by John Kabat-Zinn. This book is a great introduction to mindfulness because it teaches you how to incorporate it into your everyday life. In fact, since reading that book, all the meetings begin with a 10-minute meditation. It’s pretty impressive considering that the first time the group meditated, it was for five minutes!

For our next meeting we will be discussing the beginning of “Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity” by Peter Attia. In this book, Attia “draws on the latest science to deliver innovative nutritional interventions, techniques for optimizing exercise and sleep, and tools for addressing emotional and mental health.” There is some great information in this book, but keep in mind any medical advice or changes you would like to incorporate should be discussed with your doctor. Along with these books I’ve mentioned, there are tons more resources available to learn about healthy aging. Are you interested in brain health? We have tons of books about it, including a couple by Sanjay Gupta called “Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age” and “12 Weeks to a Sharper You: A Guided Program.” The Mayo Clinic has a new book about keeping your mind sharp, keeping your body young, and your mind fulfilled.

If you are interested in joining the Healthy Aging Group, drop by on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 10 a.m. If you have a chance, read up to page 35 of “Outlive.” If you don’t have the time to read it, feel free to come by anyway. And, while you’re here, you can peruse our healthy living books!

by Caroline Badowski, Head of Adult Services