Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Parrish Medical Center - 8

SENIOR CONSULTATION

BY PAMELA TRONETTI, DO, AGSF

STUCK IN A RUT?

Pamela Tronetti,
DO, AGSF, PMC
Senior Services
Medical Director

Breaking free from routine is a key to healthy aging
I have a friend who tells people that she lives to play the
piano. It's her whole world.
The thing is, she only knows three
songs. And I've known her for 40 years!
When I've asked why she doesn't expand
the repertoire, she repeats the same
tired excuses: Learning new ﬁngering
takes too much time; she might not like
the new song once she's played it; she's
comfortable, so why change now.
Before you render a verdict, remember that most of us are guilty of plunking
away at the same few notes in the vast
keyboard of life. Year in and year out, we
eat the same meals, buy the same products, watch the same TV shows and take
the same vacations.
As kids, we were constantly exposed
to new stimuli, new information and
new experiences. As adults, we oﬀer
our brains the same old, same old, often

avoiding the "risk" of learning to hit a
few unfamiliar keys.
As a physician who cares for people
of advanced age, I can tell you that the
healthiest people are those who keep
physically and mentally active. They go
out of their comfort zone to try new
activities, go to new places, taste new
foods and learn new things.
They still have their home base of
comfort foods and routines, but they
branch out. They don't get stuck in the
three most common ruts.

THE "THIS IS WHAT I EAT" RUT:
"I'm a meat-and-potatoes guy."
"I can't cook for just one person."
"I don't want to eat junk food, but
I can't help myself."
By taking a few small steps, we
can expand our keyboard. "I don't

like vegetables, but I'm willing to try
them stir-fried or grilled." "Now that
I'm alone, I should get a countertop
grill and some single-serve microwave
vegetables." "I'm going to get rid of
all the junk food in my house so that
it won't tempt me."
THE "I HAVE NO TIME" RUT:
This keeps people from exercising, reading that novel (or writing one!), taking
that class at the community college, and
cleaning out the spare bedroom. But we
always seem to make time for television,
the computer, the phone or the tablet.
(The average American spends 10 hours
a day staring at a screen.) Instead, get
moving! Pick up a tennis racket, a dulcimer, a poetry book or a dust mop.
THE "THIS IS WHO I AM" RUT:
Don't limit the deﬁnition of yourself. If
you see yourself as a runner or an artist
or a professional something, then what
will happen if you can no longer run,
paint or work at your job? Start developing other aspects of your personality.
And of course, don't let others deﬁne
you. Maybe you were told that you were
unattractive or clumsy, so you've denied
yourself things that you thought only
athletic and pretty people deserved.
You are not now and probably never
have been what those people said
you were.

8

WI NT ER 2 0 1 7

BOTTOM PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES

It's time to climb out of our ruts to play
some new tunes. It will take time, and
we may hit a few clunkers as we stumble
into the great unknown. But it'll be
worth it! ■

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Parrish Medical Center

Contents
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Parrish Medical Center - Cover1
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Parrish Medical Center - Cover2
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Parrish Medical Center - Contents
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Parrish Medical Center - 2
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Parrish Medical Center - 3
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Parrish Medical Center - 4
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Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Parrish Medical Center - Cover3
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Parrish Medical Center - Cover4
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