How to live well, well into our older years.
I’m fascinated with the super-healthy, uber-agers running, high-jumping, cycling their way into their 80’s, 90’s and beyond.
Though not extraordinary athletes, tens of thousands of “ordinary” older adults worldwide live life nimbly and gracefully. I am delighted that this abundant and active life is available to each of us, provided we follow specific suggestions.
According to Wendy Wood, a psychology professor at the University of Southern California, it takes three months for new habits to take hold, however, the biggest gain comes during the first month. So it’s important to stick with it initially.
I’ve selected these points that resonate with me from an article entitled: Live Longer Stronger Better. Quite a few of them are already part of my arsenal for staying fit and young-ish.
My top ten from the 60 suggestions offered by AARP and their panel of experts:
- Make weekly exercise dates. It’s easy to talk yourself out of exercising but more difficult knowing someone depends on you. I enjoy exercise, so this isn’t that huge for me. However, I do tend to exercise longer when with a friend. Exercisers are 45% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
- Eat a salad daily. Again, an easy one for me, as I love salads and even order them when eating out. One serving a day of leafy greens was associated with slower cognitive decline.
- Have a super berry dessert. Dark-colored berries like blueberries and blackberries contain compounds that fight inflammation and help protect your brain. I have a berry and super-greens smoothie almost every day as a mid-morning snack. (I eat a small breakfast early morning).
- Read. Men and women who engage their minds most often through intellectual activities such as playing games or reading were 29% less likely to develop dementia during a five-year follow-up period. Reports a 2018 Hong Kong study of adults 65 and older published in JAMA Psychiatry.
- Once a week, try something new. I love this one. Listen to new music, sign up for a lecture, learn some words in another language. Lifelong learning is associated with improved brain health.
- Resistance training. I’m not too fond of this one, yet I lift weights several days a week as I realize the fantastic benefits not only to our muscles but for our bones and balance, as well. Women who did just 20 to 59 minutes a week of muscle-strengthening exercises were 29% less likely to die during the 12-year study than those who did none.
- Shake off the stress. Have a go-to ritual that you look forward to when the anxiety is flaring up. Call a friend, read your current novel for 30 minutes, whatever relaxes you. I would add having at least one friend you can count on to talk to through good times and bad is vitally important. And if you have several buddies with whom you socialize and enjoy sharing laughs and stories, better yet.
- Cardio exercise. It is not a surprise how vital movement is. What is a surprise is women who averaged 4,400 hundred steps a day (compared with just 2,700 steps) were 41% less likely to die during a follow-up of 4.3 years. I love my Fitbit for tracking my steps.
- Journal each day. Keeping a gratitude journal to count your blessings will help you keep perspective when hard times hit. I’m a daily diarist — one of the first things I do in the morning.
- Do some diaphragmatic breathing. Work on taking deep breaths that expand your abdomen. I meditate daily and breathe deeply during this quiet time.
I wrote at length about the super-healthy athletes who in their 80’s, 90’s and even into their 100’s broke world records in cycling, power-lifting, and track and field events in my article Exercising Into Our Later Years at dianaleotta@Medium.com.
Sharon Hernstadt began powerlifting in her 60’s. Now a grandmother in her 80’s, Sharon is a five-time world and national champion who has set records at state and national levels.
Olga Kotelko was a track and field star well into her 90’s, taking this sport up at age 77 after realizing her strength was her speed when running bases in softball.
Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins took up running at age 100 when she decided it was no longer safe for her to continue mountain biking!
I’m not suggesting that we aspire to be extreme athletes like these women. However, we can certainly enter our 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and beyond exhibiting super health.
Are we willing to commit to change our habits and adopt some of the suggestions outlined above?
"When health is absent wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless and intelligence cannot be applied. "— Herophilus, the Father of Anatomy.
The following may be redundant, yet it does bear repeating:
" Gerontologists point to three arteries of life that contribute to aging well: staying fit with movement and diet; staying connected to a supportive and intimate community; staying engaged with lifelong brain activity, be it with gardening or crossword puzzles or continuing education classes. These super-agers make sure they have something to look forward to every day, which helps them stay relevant and instills a will to live. "— Gayle Kirschenbaum, The Ethel, online publication.
Ms. Kirschenbaum reminds us of super-agers Judi Dench, 86, who just released the film Blithe Spirit, Jane Fonda, 82, and Lily Tomlin, 81, stars of the Netflix hit Grace and Frankie. And Betty White, at age 99, was still at work as a voice actor in Toy Story 4.
They are astonishing women and constantly curious and interested in life and living beyond the norm.
We must be resolute in our determination to do all we can to be strong in mind and body well into our later years. So much is up to us.
"What the mind believes, the body embraces. "— from the book Growing Bolder by Marc Middleton.
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