Author: Bob McMillan

Fall is the season for Health Fairs and Expos. These are interactive events that showcase the health and wellness resources available in a given geographical area. They provide you with the opportunity to meet and greet many of the people who provide beneficial and useful Health and Wellness Services to the local community. They are normally community based and are very effective at letting the wellness providers and members of the public get to know one another. You can meet and hear Health and Wellness professionals speak about health and wellness matters in an informal and relaxed setting. You get the opportunity to ask your questions and get the answers, from people who really know what they are talking about.

Robin Fillmore, Publisher of Natural Awakenings Magazine, which has produced several Health Fairs and Expos in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area says it best:

“Health fairs and expos are a great way to meet, face-to-face, the practitioners, business leaders and innovators who are leading the community to better health. The real value of attending is being able to engage and interact with those who are changing the way that we think about our own health. No need to schedule an appointment just to ask a question. No time off work to spend a few minutes learning about the new possibilities to improve your health. This is an exciting time for many people to take their health into their own hands as they learn to take adopt a healthy lifestyle suited to them–and health fairs are a great place to start that journey.”  — Robin Fillmore

Do people make lifestyle changes as a result of what they learn at a health fair? Many do. There have been no valid qualitative studies to provide real answers, but there are numerous quantitative studies that measure numbers of attendees, numbers of screenings, etc. So, while there is no real way to measure the true effects as a result of attending, there must be something to them. There are an increasing number of health fairs, and more and more people like you are attending. People go to learn, and learn they do.

Cut to the commercial. Natural Awakenings Magazine, one of the premier Health and Wellness publications throughout the country is co-sponsoring a Heathy Living Expo this coming Saturday, September 17 at the Unity of Fairfax Church Facility at 2854 Hunter Mill Road in Oakton, VA from 11:00 am to 4:00 PM. There is plenty of free parking. This will be one of the premier Health Fair events of the year in the Washington Metropolitan Area. You can register online or buy your ticket at the door. For detailed information and to register online, go to  http://healthylivingexpova.com/.  There will be plenty of Wellness providers with exhibits and tables where you can stop, pick up information, and talk directly to the practitioner. There will be plenty of speakers on subjects you will be interested in throughout the day. NOTE: I will by speaking at 3:00 PM. Come by and learn how You Are Your Own Fountain of Youth.

Health and Wellness are important topics for everyone. There are limited opportunities to engage informally with the people who provide Health and Wellness services. Take the opportunity to visit the Health Fairs that will be held wherever you live. If you live in the Washington, DC area, please come to the Natural Awakenings Magazine Healthy Living Expo at the Unity of Fairfax Church in Oakton, Va this coming Saturday. I hope to see you there. Oh, and pick up a free copy of this terrific magazine at libraries, stores, businesses and other locations near you.

Thank you for reading.

“Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone.” There’s a lot to that statement.

Laughter releases chemicals into your body . . . feel good chemicals.

Laughter exercises your abdominal muscles, your diaphragm, your solar plexus, that point where all movement begins. It strengthens that area of your body. It can make your voice stronger, and will lift your energy level upward. It feels good.

And that’s just the physical side. How about the mental side. Laughter changes your mental state and your overall attitude. How can you feel bad when you are laughing? How can you be depressed when you are laughing.

When you laugh, you are nice to be around. When you cry or complain about life, people want to leave you alone. Laughter brings happiness and joy, albeit temporary, to yourself and to those around you.

Who or what do we laugh at? We laugh at things we find amusing or funny. We find irony in life’s situations and we laugh at them. Best of all, we laugh at ourselves, and often that’s the best laughter of all.

THE REALITY IS . . . Laughter is “feel good medicine”. The more you do it, the better you feel. It is physical stimulus and mental healing. Laugh a lot.

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this article, please forward it to a friend and tell them they can get my blog articles at bob@thecomealiveproject.com.

Sometimes I come across a truly remarkable older person who is living their senior life happily, healthfully, joyously, and filled with positive, productive personal energy.

Remember last week I wrote about dancers and their seeming longevity. I attributed it to the use of their legs for so long throughout their life. Well, recently I discovered an amazing legend in the dance industry by the name of Gillian Lynne. I think you’ll be captivated by this amazing woman’s story. I was researching something online several months ago, and I came across a reference in an article about Dame Gillian Lynne. I never heard of her, but the comments in the article intrigued me. So I looked her up.

Wow!

Gillian Lynne demonstrates vividly that whether we are in our 50s or our 80s, we can enjoy the lives we are living and look forward to experiencing even more. And whether you are in your 50s or in your 80s, male or female, this woman should be an inspiration.

She started her dancing career in England at an early age. Her dance and choreographing credits are long and full. She choreographed, and was cast opposite Erol Flynn in the movie The Master of Ballantrae in 1953. She choreographed CATS for Andrew Lloyd Webber and did the staging for Phantom of the Opera. She worked on the very first versions of both musicals and continues to consult. Just five years ago, at age 85, she choreographed the 25^th Anniversary production of Phantom of the Opera.

She just released an exercise video at age 88. Granted that it was produced over a period of eight years with shots taken at locations all over the world. Gee, that means she was 80 years old when production began. Hmm, there’s hope for me yet.

She explains her good health and personal energy by emphasizing that she exercises a minimum of 45 minutes a day. She says that yes, she is sore, and it is hard sometimes to get motivated, but she does it anyway because she knows it will help her live longer and healthier. Those are her words. She says that she lives by two essentials:

1. Her daily workout.
2. Having a purpose to keep going.

According to her website ( www.gillianlynne.com ), she also “practices yoga and – when not rehearsing – has twice-weekly Pilates sessions.” Her website also quotes her as saying, “I have a maxim that energy breeds energy. I don’t believe that you get it from having a rest. On the days when I hurt and feel tired, I know I have to do a workout and I’ll feel better.”

 Her website quotes her further, “Age is not important. It’s where your brain is and your level of energy that matters. I have always had a lot of energy and I don’t notice that diminishing.”

She is feisty, opinionated and fun. She says Life is all about a having a purpose and that retirement is dangerous. That’s why at age 90 she keeps working.

She gave a speech to the Royal Academy of Dance while recovering from pneumonia three years ago at age 87. I watched the video on YouTube and she still looks healthy and spry.  This video is filled with valuable lessons, is hilarious, and even a bit risque toward the end. You will benefit from the wisdom in her message. Here’s the link to the YouTube video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX_O3HHYB_k . I strongly recommend you make the time to watch this 30 minute talk. It is truly inspiring.

At age 52 she got married (second marriage) — to a man who was 27 years younger than she was. They are still married.

Oh, and did I mention that she has two metal hips and a bunch of metal pins in her foot? She still dances. Not a lot but she is still active . . . and she is still working.

“Unless you really hate what you do I think retiring is the biggest mistake you can make. You lose your adrenalin, your zest for life. If I retired, I’d keel over and die, I know I would. Everybody needs something to get up for in the morning, knowing they have to be somewhere at a certain time, or having a particular project they’re going to be working on. You’ve got to make yourself have a purpose in life.”   Gillian Lynne

Gillian Lynne just turned ninety years young in February of this year. Wow! Talk about inspiring.

Thank you for reading.