Aging Gracefully

Some people don’t mind getting old, but few want to look the part these days. It’s all about aging gracefully. Know the keys to feeling and looking young and, most importantly, staying healthy as you age. Every day in this country, over 300 baby boomers turn 60 and all of them want to live a long and fulfilling life. Many people are becoming interested in anti-aging medicine. Simply put, anti-aging medicine is preventative health care based on the early detection, prevention and treatment of age related diseases, dysfunctions and disorders. The goal is not only to prolong the years in your life, but to add life and enjoyment to those years. Some of the “secrets” of anti-aging are not really secrets at all, and you don’t require drugs or surgery. There is abundant research that shows that consistent physical activity plays a key role in maintaining health and vitality as we age. Exercise is one of the most valuable forms of anti-aging medicine. Even small amounts of physical activity are healthier than a sedentary lifestyle. In fact, the lack of physical activity accelerates the ageing process.

Researchers in London have been studying these minute little things on our chromosomes called “Telomeres”. They shorten as we age, but if we exercise they stay longer for longer. Up to 10 years longer between people doing 200 minutes of exercise per week compared to those doing 16 minutes of exercise per week. In general they suggest that we do 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least five days per week.

Fitness level, not body fat, predicts longevity in older adults. Men and women aged over 60 with higher levels of cardio-respiratory fitness live longer than unfit adults, and this correlation is independent of levels of body fat. Researchers at the University of South Carolina studied 2,600 adults for 12 years, during which time there were 450 deaths. They found that those who died were older, had lower fitness levels and had more cardiovascular risk factors than survivors. However, there were no significant differences in body fat levels.

We can live longer and live healthier according to Dr. Shripad Tuljapurkar of Stanford University. He states that “We are on the brink of being able to extend human life span significantly”. He estimates that between now and 2030 the average age of death will increase up to 20 years if we take advantage of the technology available in most industrialized countries.

Remember to check with your medical doctor or chiropractor before you begin any exercise program.

It is interesting to note that over the last few centuries about 30 to 50 percent of people have lived to about double the average life expectancy at the time of their birth. For example, the life expectancy at the beginning of the twentieth century was about 50. There are people still alive today that were born in the early part of the twentieth century. In the United States alone there are about 30,000 people alive today that are 100 or older.

Today the average life expectancy is over 70. Does that mean that babies born today can expect to live as old as 140? Food for thought, don’t you think. If kids born today are going to live that long they had better learn how to take care of themselves. I for one would not like to live to be 140 and go into a nursing home at 80.

Make an appointment. At least make sure your spine and nervous system is working at its highest potential. Chiropractic care can help ensure that.