Somebody famous once said that we don’t stop playing because we get older but rather, we get older because we stop playing. This can be carried over to the need for most people to stay busy on either a physical or mental level, for the most part. Sitting around and brooding about regrets just illustrates the fact that it’s better to stay busy or begin rusting, for most people.

What this means is that people aren’t actually rusting from the inside — though the phenomenon of oxidative damage, brought on by free radicals in the body — exists. No, what this means is that people who don’t engage their minds or bodies where both really do enjoy life more and enjoy more of it for a lot longer. If that isn’t enough motivation, it’s difficult to figure out what else would be.

Another effective way to engage at least the mind is to try to think up ways — given that this is the Internet age — to make money online that are both legitimate and legal. The single most effective way for most average people is to start a blog, grow and develop it and then began attracting visitors to it. At the least, it’s been proven that such activity can keep even the most elderly in fine mental fitness.

All of this is more about the point of people keeping the focus on moving and not, ever, stopping. This doesn’t mean literally, because everybody needs rest, but the famous picture Satchel Paige, who probably pitched a major-league game while he was in his 50s or 60s, observed that he never looked behind him because he didn’t want to know who was trying to catch up to him. That’s a good philosophy to have.

Another way to stay busy and to actually engage in self improvement and enrichment is to pick up a musical instrument. Go to the local music store, check out something like an Alvarez acoustic guitar, and see if it fits nicely in the right and left hands. Chances are, this very portable and useful instrument will end up being taken home and played on, if given the chance.

Staying busy by engaging in structured household activities — such as regular home maintenance or even cleaning out the house of all the junk that’s accumulated — is another good way of stating off rust and decline. Take a look around the house; pick up that old black helmet that went with an old black motorcycle decades ago and store it away, for example.

It’s important for people to understand that physical and mental activity — if carried out regularly — can help one live a very long and productive life. Don’t think that chronological age should be an impediment to doing much of anything anymore. Avoid the rocking chair on the porch whenever possible, especially if that rocking chair is calling out for a decades-long stay.