Aging
Flip through the pages of any magazine or turn on
the TV, and you may agree that it seems as if this
year’s 55-year-old could easily pass for 45.
Are middle-aged and older Americans actually physiologically
younger than previous generations? Or could it be that
a nip here or a tuck there is fooling the eye, while
age-related physiological changes continue apace?
Most likely, a bit of both prevails. Although cosmetic
arts certainly account for some of today’s youthful
look, a handful of scientific findings also bolster
the idea that the “aging” clock is slowing
down a bit. On standard measurements of mental and
physical functions, the health of a 70-year-old in
2003 is equivalent to that of a 65-year-old in 1973,
according to one study on aging. Average life expectancy
is creeping upward, too, reaching 75 for men and topping
80 for women.
How long are you likely to live? The answer
to that question rests partly with the genes you’ve
inherited. Yet the actions you take today have a great
deal of influence. Simple lifestyle choices — what
you eat, how often you exercise, and whether you smoke — have
an enormous impact on your longevity and quality of
life. Changes that were once labeled milestones in
growing older — such as high blood pressure,
fragile bones, and significant memory loss — are
no longer considered inevitable.
Life expectancy on the rise
Increasing life span
As you grow older, your average life expectancy stretches.
For example, while a newborn in the U.S. has a life expectancy
of 78, a 65-year-old can expect to live another 19 years,
and an 85-year-old has another 7 years.
Nowadays, life expectancy at birth is about 78 years
in the United States. This is a great leap forward
from a century ago, when the average newborn couldn’t
expect to reach age 50.
If you live to celebrate certain milestones of age,
your life expectancy expands. In other words, the longer
you live, the longer you’re likely to live. Because
a large number of people who have chronic ailments
or engage in behaviors that raise the risk of accidents
or illness get cut from the herd much earlier, the
oldest old are often remarkably healthy.
Physical activity: A key to longevity
“If there is anything close to a fountain of
youth, it is exercise,” says Dr. Anne Fabiny,
a geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine
at Harvard Medical School. “Given its proven
benefits and low side-effect profile, if it were a
pill, everyone would be on it!” The evidence
is in: regular exercise helps people age more slowly
and live healthier, more vigorous lives.
A proper exercise program can help delay many of the
changes associated with aging, particularly when combined
with preventive measures such as regular medical check-ups
and a healthful diet. The same measures can ward off
many of the chronic illnesses that too often tarnish
our golden years, helping to prevent heart disease,
cancer, and stroke as well as hypertension, diabetes,
osteoporosis, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition, studies have shown that it’s never
too late to begin exercising. Researchers reporting
in the Journal of the American Medical Association found
that women who began walking a mile a day after age
65 were about half as likely to die of heart disease,
cancer, or any cause as their sedentary counterparts.
A study of more than 800 older men in the Netherlands
associated regular biking with a 29% reduction in the
death rate. And even people who begin exercising in
their 90s and 100s realize gains in both cardiovascular
and musculoskeletal fitness.
Getting started with exercise: Easy does it … but
do it!Age-related decline isn’t inevitable
Aging induces many changes in the body. Data from the
Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging indicate that lung capacity declines
about 40% on average between ages 20 and 70. The heart’s maximum oxygen
intake during exercise declines by roughly 10% in men and 7.5% in women
for each decade of adult life. Inactivity causes muscle mass to drop
22% for women and 23% for men between ages 30 and 70. Bone loss outstrips
bone buildup starting around age 35. Kidneys gradually lose efficiency,
too.
Are all of these declines inevitable? No. Studies prove that you can offset many
of these changes by adopting healthy practices.
If you’re like most people, the idea of starting
an exercise program can be daunting. But the abundant
benefits of regular exercise begin to accrue with just
a few hours of moderate activity per week. It’s
worth noting that even stepping up so-called lifestyle
activities — such as gardening or housecleaning — is
beneficial.
How can you get started? The best advice is to begin
slowly and gradually work up to more intensive activity
over time. The most balanced exercise routine — and
ultimately the healthiest one — emphasizes a
combination of aerobic activity, strength training,
and flexibility.
How much exercise should you get? If you’re
in good health, aim to get at least 30 minutes of moderately
intense physical activity on most — or, better
still, all — days of the week. If you are struggling
to maintain a healthy weight or need to lose weight,
the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend
increasing this to 60 or 90 minutes a day.
Click here for information
on exercising safely.
Next: Steps to a longer, healthier
life
|
