I’ve been reading a book called Younger Next Year, about what we can do to make sure our bodies and minds stay fit and healthy into old age. (Not that I’m anywhere near that threshold, of course, but it’s good to stay informed!)
A concept that comes up in the book is that we want to be able to play, deep into our later years. That sounded reasonable! Sure, who doesn’t want to be able to play hard? But then I realized that I didn’t really see myself doing the activities they talk about in the book. I’m not a skier or a cyclist. I like to hike, but I don’t know that that feels like “play” to me.
So what is play? Clearly that changes depending on who’s answering. More specifically, in this context, what do I want to be physically able to do, late into my life, without worrying about whether I’m capable?
I want to travel internationally and explore all day
I want to backpack with my family
I want to play basketball (badly) with my son
I want to try handstand walks and other new gymnastics movements at the gym, maybe even that wild thing people do with a hoop and turning upside down
What is play, to you? What are the things you want to be able to do forever?
