My wife and I were on vacation this last week, visiting family in Las Vegas, Nevada.

We are hikers and the areas around Las Vegas have plenty of opportunities for hiking.

On Saturday, we drove the rental car out to the Red Rocks National Conservation Area. The weather was good, not too hot and a bit of cloud cover.

Joan and I hiked two different areas. In one area, we hiked up an area of incredible rock boulders and outcroppings. I climbed up and stood on a rock outcropping with sheer drops on three sides, making Joan a bit nervous :-).

Then, we climbed down into a small canyon that wasn’t easy to get into. However, once there, we were rewarded by finding a small pool in the rock. The floor of the canyon was so neat and pristine that it looked like it had been groomed. However, I don’t think many people had been down there.

After that, we drove further around the scenic loop to a place we could hike back into a small water fall nestled in the rocks. It was about a two-mile hike, over some fairly rough terrain, but we easily made it and got to see a small waterfall in the desert! It was not Multnomah Falls (near where we live in Oregon) but was quite the sight and experience nonetheless.

Both Joan and I were able to do these hikes and enjoy the amazing scenery. How? One of the reasons is because we are both disciplined to get up early and exercise nearly every morning. Many evenings after dinner, we also do a brisk 2 mile walk.

People often lament growing older and limitations that aging brings. The aging process is something that happens to  all of us. In this life, it can’t be stopped or avoided entirely. However, I have seen that a commitment to living a disciplined life can actually help you to grow YOUNGER in many important aspects — including appearance and lifestyle. Who wouldn’t want to do that?