So… my grandma is 87. Standing at around 4’10” she looks exactly like your run-of-the-mill, cute old Asian lady. We go for a walk everyday around the block and it’s hilarious because by the time we get home she is completely hunched over and looks like she is continually falling into her next step.

Ok, maybe that doesn’t sound too funny. The young grandson is laughing with a sick grin on his face at his own grandma’s weakening body and cruel limitations. For me, it just feels natural because she laughs at herself too! Every time we get home, she lets out an exaggerated gasp for air and complains that it’s hot in the house. It’s as if she just ran 3 miles in the hills, but she acknowledges that she only walked fairly slowly for 15 minutes on a flat neighborhood sidewalk.  She says she doesn’t feel old; she just gets winded easily.

It makes me wonder. Yes, a good chunk of her issue is due to her age, but how much exactly? There are people that don’t even make it to 87, some that can’t walk at 87, or some that surpass it and can still do gymnastics!

My theory is that her bad posture is affecting her lung capacity, and her lack of oxygen is making her winded. She sits on the couch most of the day, so her back and core muscles do not have to function as support. Her upper body constantly slouches, which limits the amount of air that can fill her chest cavity. Simply trying to take deeper breaths won’t do anything if the volume of air she can take in is greatly limited.

This reminds me of that insane Dutch daredevil Wim Hof who was all over the news a while ago. He has broken over 20 something world records related to withstanding extremely cold temperatures for prolonged periods of time. Some examples of his feats include fully immersing his body in a bath of icewater for over an hour and climbing to an altitude of 22,000 feet at Mount Everest wearing nothing but shorts and shoes.

I was fascinated by him for a long time. His accomplishments were no doubt superhuman, but were they purely the result of genetics? How the heck was he able to accomplish all of that?

It turns out that, with enough practice, even normal people can quickly learn how to endure ice baths and barefooted walks in the snow. He also discusses other advantages to his methods such as control over the autonomic nervous system and a stronger immune system.

His method? Breathing. That’s basically it. Check it out for yourself! It’s clear that his mere existence breaks the boundaries of what we believe is scientifically possible for a human being. I have no idea how exactly any of this works, but his point is extremely obvious. Being able to take profound breaths and feel the flow of oxygen in the body provides the basis for tapping into superhuman capabilities.

With that in mind, maybe my grandma isn’t too old to take a simple walk around the block without getting tired. Some simple exercises and basic willpower might just be enough to increase her quality of life. Only one way to find out!

Photo Credits: weknowmemes.com

https://www.dragondoor.com/secrets_of_the_iceman_revealed_wim_hof_interview/