People comment frequently: “I can’t believe I’m—(lets say) 60,— I feel like I am 45”.  It seems like many of us are blessed with confusion between the age that our birth certificate legally states we are and what our brain and body swear couldn’t be true. 

Learning health and attitude skills to combat some of the predictable woes of the aging process can actually buy us time along the continuum from birth to the obits.  That place in time where our physical and mental health trump our chronological age is referred to, by an internet site, (of the same name), as our “real age”.  And because we are the society of overachievers that we are, there is a test to quantify that age.  It is predictably called, the “Real Age” test.

We thought everyone on the planet had heard of this test, (and we were just the last ones to get the memo), but we were wrong.  A casual survey revealed that there are still many unevaluated souls out there who think that the “date of birth” space on their driver’s license application tells the whole story of their age.  Oh contraire!

For the AgingButDangerousbunch, the real beef, (lean of course), in this lengthy and somewhat cumbersome test, is the feedback that this website gives you on how to lower your “real age”, possibly giving you tools to feel the best you can feel while you are puttering around this planet.  Don’t get excited about the recommendation to get a dog—that advice is SOP for the canine deprived taking this test and personally a mind boggling and overwhelming thought for yours truly, (it ain’t happenin).

You will need to know your blood pressure, your cholesterol numbers, and the medications you take.  Allow plenty of time, there are a lot of questions.  Be honest!!  I didn’t engage in a committed relationship with Real Age, I just did the free, easy stuff that came with the test.

 My “real age“ was 54.5—that sounds pretty good to a 62 year old.    It feels gratifying to know that all the hard work I put forth to stay fit and healthy really is paying off.  I COULD be better however, according to my test results—although I am not motivated to turn the clock too far back.  I am way too gravity enhanced for a training bra.

When I crawled, with some difficulty, into a huge, “Edith Ann” scaled, over-size rocking chair, last winter, a friend asked if I thought I would ever “grow up”.  Gee, I hope not, and according to Real Age, should I decide to, it may take a little more time than originally anticipated.  www.realage.com