When you think about your mother at 60 how do you picture her? Was she old? Did she act decrepit? Was she serious all the time?

How do you picture 60 today? When you hear about people in there 60’s do you think of Dolly Parton? Yes, she just turned 60 in January!! I know you are saying that Dolly has had a lot of “work” done, but she certainly doesn’t act 60.

Do you remember the old show “Charley’s Angels”? Jacquelyn Smith, Farrah Fawcett, & Kate Jackson are all pushing 60! It’s totally amazing to me that by exercising on a regular basis these girls have really pushed back time.

Someone asked me the other day how old I was and when I told them that I was 60 their remark was that I didn’t look 60! I asked them what 60 looked like. I then said that we are redefining what age looks like.

How does a 60 year old person act? As far as acting old, I believe that you can act old at any age. Some people are way too serious at 35. Some people never seem to have any fun and they appear mad at the world. What a horrible existence.

One saying that I love to use is: “We don’t stop playing because we get old; we get old because we stop playing!” How true this saying is and quite sad.

Why give in to “old-age” when you have the fountain of youth at your fingertips!! Yes, exercise, especially weight training, has been proven to be the closest thing to the “Fountain of Youth” that you have.

I see people every day in there late 80’s and early 90’s that exercise two to three times a week that are defying the aging process!! Exercise not only keeps your physical body young, it keeps your mind active and responsive.

Did you know that as you age you lose muscle tone? As the aging process happens, and it does this naturally, you lose your ability to balance, you seem to be less flexible than in your younger days, and you can’t walk or shop as long as you used to without running out of steam.

SURPRISE!! You can do something about all these age related declines.

It’s been proven in numerous studies by Tufts University that you can regain your strength, your balance, your flexibility and even your endurance through regular exercise sessions. The operative word here is REGULAR.

Consistency is the one aspect of exercise that can be attributed to reversing the aging process. The dictionary defines consistency as regularity. If you are consistent and regular with anything it becomes a part of you, right? This is what sets the 80 & 90 year old exercisers apart from their sedentary counterparts.

Getting back to defining what 60 looks like, I’d say it would be hard to describe. The 60 year olds that I see & am privileged to be around are people that exercise on a regular basis so I have a distorted view of a 60 year old, I think.

What does this say to you? If you are 60 or beyond wouldn’t you like to regain some of that spunk you had when you were a kid of 40? Did things just start slipping away while you weren’t looking? What happened between 40 & 60? Were you too busy to see that your body was deteriorating? Now is the time to take a good, honest look at yourself and decide that you want to be a vital contributor to society and to your peers.

If you don’t want to be taken care of for the rest of your life then I would suggest you get into an exercise program. I am not just talking to people over 60 either.

I just joined a Jazz Fitness Class and I am so excited about it! I took from this same instructor over 20 years ago. We are having a ball! See, by joining something like this class it can rejuvenate you and can rehab your whole outlook on life.

Can you believe that taking a simple step such as; joining a class, buying and actually doing an exercise tape regularly, or getting on that treadmill that has been gathering dust for 10 years, will improve your overall wellbeing and will retard and reverse some of that aging process? It’s true. Prove it to yourself.

Making exercise part of your lifestyle can change your attitude, make you a happier person to be around, and keep you independent. Taking care of yourself is not selfish….it enables you to become more enthusiastic and involved in your activities of daily living.

If you don’t know where to start, then you are in luck. I can help. You can find my biography on my website at bfitandwell.com bfitandwell.com just click on “about us”. You can also reach me at 907.646.4076 or email me. I’d love to hear from you.

I would like you to take a moment and think about what fitness means to you. Just tell me the first words that pop into your head and email them to me at mailto:bonnie@bfitandwell.com bonnie@bfitandwell.com.

If you’d like a copy of my new E-Book, The DES System (Dynamic, Empowered, & Strong) please go to bfitandwell.com/e-book.html bfitandwell.com/e-book.html and download it. It’s my gift to you for your input about what fitness means to you!! Don’t be afraid to pass this link on to a friend. Thank you so much for your input and your ongoing support.

Because prevention is the best way to protect your skin from the scarring associated with severe acne, many dermatologists recommend that controlling problematic acne through diet, regular cleansing procedures, and herbal remedies, is the most effective way to combat the tendencies of skin that is prone to acne and acne-related scarring.

Treatments that accentuate the regulation of daily habits having to do with diet, physical exercise, mood control, and other activities, are known as holistic treatments. Holistic treatments often include herbal therapies.

Herbalists recommend the following herbal remedies for acne and scarring:

• Black currant seed oil taken in 500-milligram capsules three times a day for three months or until acne is diminished.

• Evening primrose oil taken in 500-milligram capsules three times a day for three months or until acne is diminished.

• Teas made from a combination of echinacea, tea tree oil, goldenseal, nettles, or calendula.

• Teas made from lavender or chamomile, to help reduce acne-causing stress.

• Chinese herbs such as cnidium seed and honeysuckle flower.

• Teas made from cumin, coriander, and fennel, steeped for 10 minutes in hot water and consumed three times a day after meals.

Some alternative medicine practitioners recommend using diet as a way to combat acne and acne-related scarring. These practitioners believe that diets high in beta-carotene help to reduce the factors that contribute to severe acne. Orange and yellow foods such as carrots, pumpkin, and cantaloupe are loaded with beta-carotene and should be a regular part of the diet of anyone suffering from acne and scarring.

Another dietary recommendation for acne-sufferers is to consume many bland foods such as oatmeal, rice, brown grains, and applesauce. These foods should be eaten instead of spicy foods and fried foods, which are believed by some practitioners to stimulate the hormones and glands that aggravate acne conditions.

A daily practice of yoga is commonly recommended as a way to increase the flow of blood to the face. This helps to flush acne-causing toxins and to provide your facial skin with natural nutrients that help to decrease the formation of acne and to heal scar tissue.

People who suffer from acne should also take care to perform some simple daily rituals that can help to reduce the occurrence of acne and scarring.

Dermatologists and alternative medicine practitioners suggest that acne-sufferers should wash the area twice daily with mild soap. Washing should be gentle. Scrubbing or grating the skin will only aggravate the condition and lead to scarring.

Hair should be washed thoroughly and regularly and should be kept away from the face and shoulders.

Acne sufferers should also avoid shaving as much as possible. When shaving, take care not to run the blade over blemishes. Always use a new blade so as not to spread infection.

Avoid wearing make-up and facial cosmetics. If you must, take care to use make-up that is hypoallergenic.

In order to prevent scarring, do not pop or squeeze pimples. Popping and squeezing pimples is tempting, but can easily cause infection and the development of unwanted scar tissue.

While many of these holistic therapies can be easily performed at home, it is a good idea to speak with your dermatologist or alternative medicine practitioner about the best holistic measures to take as a way to help with acne and acne-related scarring.

Greg Podsakoff is a former acne sufferer, and currently provides information on treating acne, pimples, and zits, via an objective informational skincare website, acne-treatments-guide.com acne-treatments-guide.com