Common Misconceptions About Health in the Second Half of Life | Can You Stay Healthy Until Your Average Life Expectancy?
When you hear the term "average life expectancy,"
many people somewhere
might think,
"I'm XX years old now, so how many more years can I live?"
Don't you think that's how people feel?
The average life expectancy in Japan is currently said to be
for men about 81 years old and for women about 87 years old.
(Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "2023 Abridged Life Tables")
For example, if you are a 57-year-old woman now,
you might be imagining,
"I wonder if I'll live for about another 30 years."
But in fact, there is something here
that is often overlooked.
That is,
you are not necessarily guaranteed to be healthy and energetic until your average life expectancy
.
Average Life Expectancy and Healthy Life Expectancy Are Different
Recently, the term "healthy life expectancy"
has also become common.
Healthy life expectancy is the period during which you can live independently
without needing nursing care or being bedridden
.
As of 2022 in Japan,
for men about 72.6 years old
and for women about 75.5 years old
it is said to be.
What do you think about this age?
Compared to the average life expectancy (about 81 for men, about 87 for women),
there is a gap of about 8 to 12 years.
(Source: Japan Institute of Life Insurance)
Of course, these are average figures,
so it varies from person to person.
Some people live long lives into their 90s and beyond while remaining healthy,
while others experience changes in their physical or mental state sooner.
But what I can say is,
our lives do not proceed exactly according to average figures
that is.
And another important thing is,
health status cannot be seen through numbers alone
that is.
Health can change in just a single moment.
The other day, I had an opportunity to speak with someone in their early 70s.
When they were leaving a shop they always visit, they walked out as usual, but they stumbled on a tiny step and fell over completely.
Someone nearby called an ambulance, they were taken straight to the hospital and admitted, where a femoral fracture was discovered, and they had surgery a few days later.
The words that person muttered have left a deep impression on me.
It really happened in an instant. I never thought that I would end up unable to move like this.
I want to walk like I used to again.
Health can sometimes weaken gradually, but there are also times when it changes suddenly overnight.
I felt that reality once again.
Health is not just for living a long life.
When I talk about things like this,
some people might think, I need to be careful about my health, or I need to exercise and build muscle,
thinking about preventing the aging of their legs and lower back.
But in the end, if you don't have a strong motivation for yourself, you might end up giving up after only three days.
So, I would like you to think about this:
What do you want to be healthy for?
That is what it means.
For example,
"Until the very end..."Start by placing these words first and
try to imagine it for a moment.
Until the very end,
・I want to live walking on my own two feet
・I want to eat delicious food with my own teeth
・I want to use my five senses to feel the richness of the Earth
・I want to go to the places I love
・I want to meet the people I love
・I want to enjoy the work and hobbies I love
・I want to live in the home I am used to
When you have such strong desires,
you naturally start to become conscious of your health.
In order to eat,
your teeth and digestive system must be healthy.
"I haven't been to the dentist lately. I should book a check-up!"
In order to go out,
your legs and lower back must be strong.
"I haven't been walking much lately. Maybe I'll walk one station's distance today!"
To continue enjoying your daily life from here on out,
incorporate small, doable things into your life every day.
Small health habits become a great power that supports your future.
Average life expectancy is not a life schedule
Average life expectancy is,
after all, just statistical data for society as a whole.
That age does not necessarily
become the length of our own lives.
It might be much sooner than that,
or we might live much longer.
That is precisely why,
instead of thinking "it's still a long way off"until the average life expectancy,
instead,
take care of your body starting right now, from this moment on.
Because,
I want to live doing XX until the very end.
Having that kind of awareness
might just be the power that protects your health.
What is your reason for wanting to be healthy?
Health is something that
we often take for granted in our daily lives,
and we often only realize its value once it is lost.
And perhaps you are the one who knows your own mental and physical state,
as well as any discomfort, better than anyone else.
In the second half of life,
you can no longer push yourself as hard as you used to ^^;
That is precisely why
I want to cherish the time spent
gradually adjusting things in my daily life.
As for what kind of health habits to adopt,
please try asking your inner self.
There are many health methods available now,
so it could be interesting to try them out and see what works for you while having fun.
The accumulation of those small habits
will surely help your future self.
What do you want to be healthy for?
Next Article Preview
Next time,
I would like to write about
health anxieties that are common
in the second half of life.
Related Tags
#Health
#HealthyLifeExpectancy
#SecondHalfOfLife
#FuturePeaceOfMind
#LivingAuthentically
Finally,
I have written a book that is neither about end-of-life planning, retirement preparation, nor self-improvement.
Click here for details and to receive the e-book (free)
Thank you for reading until the end.
I would be happy if we could continue to connect
through likes, comments, and follows.
Second Life Concierge
Harumi Takeuchi