Staying Healthy As You Get Older

I’ve spent much of the past two weeks sitting in a hospital room with an elderly parent who suffers from heart disease, osteoporosis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

At the same time, I have older friends in their 60s, 70s and 80s who are very active, healthy and who compete in cycling and running events on a regular basis.

I’ve also written previous columns about active and healthy older individuals such as Fred Schmid, an 80-year-old bicycle racer from Waco who competes in multiple disciplines of cycling, 82-year-old Sister Madonna Buder, a nun and triathlete who trains by running to church every day and bikes 40 miles to swim in a lake near her home, and 100-year-old French cyclist Robert Marchand who set a one-hour cycling speed record for his age.

So, why do some individuals stay healthy as they age while others suffer the effects of heart disease, osteoporosis, COPD, diabetes and other disabling conditions?

The short answer for most individuals is lifestyle, or — as the Pogo quote states — “We have met the enemy, and they are us.”

A report titled “Healthy Behaviors and Onset of Functional Disability in Older Adults: Results of a National Longitudinal Study” in the February 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society noted that “older adults who performed a combination of common healthy behaviors were less likely to become disabled as they age.”

Those healthy behaviors included regular exercise, not smoking, light to moderate alcohol consumption, and sleeping between six to eight hours a night.

The researchers also noted that “A program for improving physical functioning and quality of life in later life can be designed for anyone to include these healthy behaviors.”

Other research, such as the 2013 pilot study conducted by Dr. Dean Ornish, founder and president of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute, suggests that healthy behaviors such as exercise, good diet and stress management have the potential to reverse aging on a molecular level and partly restore the vitality of a person’s cells.

This study noted that moderate exercise, proper nutrition and stress management were key factors related to healthy aging.

If you don’t know what the ‘healthy aging’ implications are for you and your family, start by taking a critical look at any unhealthy lifestyle factors that might affect you and those you love.

If exercise isn’t currently part of the picture, start a doctor-approved exercise program that includes at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity five or more days per week and moderate to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days per week.

Work with your doctor or a wellness professional to conduct a ‘Health Risk Assessment” screening that helps you identify your key health risk factors.

Stop smoking (today) if you smoke.

Take steps to eliminate or modify aspects of your life that cause high stress (note: exercise is a great stress reliever).

Concentrate on maintaining a well-balanced and healthy diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts while limiting red meat, sugary foods and beverages.

One family strategy to ‘give forward’ might be to become a healthy behavior mentor for a spouse, parent or grandparent by dedicating one or two of your ‘easy workout days’ to some fitness activity that can be done with those individuals.

 Remember — a healthy lifestyle today is the key factor in preventing health issues in later life.


Upcoming Events

July 4: Christoval VFD 5K, roadlizards.org/events/christoval-vfd-5k/

July 10: Road bike time trial, http://angelobike.org/road-time-trials/
July 12: Lake Nasworthy Triathlon, roadlizards.org

July 24: Mountain bike time trial, http://angelobike.org/events/mtb-time-trial-4/

July 26, Goodfellow Triathlon, roadlizards.org

Aug 2: Southland Shuffle, roadlizards.org

Aug 10: San Angelo Olympic and sprint distance triathlon, Spring Creek Park