| New research studies based on records of those | | | | Anyone with medical problems, should consult |
| people who have lived long and well, including the | | | | their physician before starting any new eating |
| ever growing population of centenarians, have | | | | regimen. |
| enabled professionals to identify the factors that | | | | Everyday activities such as walking a dog, |
| impact on successful aging. Besides the blessing of | | | | housecleaning, gardening, and stretching will help an |
| good genetic codes, individuals may set new life | | | | elder maintain mobility. For professional guidance, |
| goals based on their own choices to improve the | | | | many physical fitness centers and senior |
| quality and longevity of their lives. These so called | | | | programs offer Silver Sneakers, Yoga, and Tai |
| lifestyle choices are holistic in nature because they | | | | Chi classes that are designed for older adults. Of |
| encompass the physical, mental, emotional, social | | | | course, brisk walking is free, and other enjoyable |
| and spiritual attributes of one’s life. The | | | | exercises such as biking, hiking or playing outdoor |
| overall well-being of aging adults, to a large | | | | games with grandchildren help to motivate |
| extent, rests in their ability to learn how to age | | | | frequent participation. The benefits of exercise |
| well and put this knowledge into regular use. Since | | | | include: extension of life, reducing stress, |
| this topic is an entire field of study (gerontology), | | | | maintaining mobility, reducing risk of diabetes and |
| this article will only discuss some of the major | | | | heart disease, and improving sleep, memory, and |
| findings so that older adults may apply this | | | | moods! Sometimes, in our appearance oriented |
| knowledge to their own lives. The latest | | | | culture, the true value and purpose of staying |
| information about aging well is readily available at | | | | physically fit is forgotten. |
| libraries and book stores, on the Internet, in the | | | | Living adaptively is a way of life for most |
| media, aging and health organizations and | | | | centenarians. Having a positive attitude, |
| government agencies. In fact, many free | | | | knowinghow to accept things that cannot be |
| worthwhile publications are distributed by the | | | | changed, and maintaining a sense of humor all |
| federal government. The National Institutes on | | | | contribute tolongevity. Keeping an open mind, |
| Aging and Health will send a catalog of their | | | | growing with cultural changes, and learning from |
| publications to you: call 800-222-2225 or visit | | | | younger generations keep the mind agile and a |
| www. nih.gov/nia for information. | | | | person dynamic, rather than stagnant. Having |
| In Aging Well, the Harvard Study of Adult | | | | friends and family to care about and interact with |
| Development, author George E. Valliant, a | | | | fosters mental health and a person’s sense |
| professor at Harvard Medical School, identified | | | | of connectedness to the world. Older people living |
| four basic activities that create a rewarding and | | | | alone should make special efforts to become |
| happy retirement: (1) Workmates should be | | | | involved with the larger community in some way, |
| replaced by a new social network, which might | | | | especially if family does not visit often. Chronic |
| also include grandchildren. (2) Learn how to play, | | | | loneliness leads to depression, poor eating, poor |
| even competitively, to make new friends and | | | | sleeping, stress, and eventually poor medical |
| maintain self-esteem. (3) Be creative by pursuing | | | | health. By sharing conversations, ideas, concerns, |
| activities that incorporate talent and | | | | activities and goals, we keep our human qualities in |
| communication, such as art work, music, writing | | | | tact and have purpose in life. Elders who are |
| or gardening. (4) Engage in lifelong learning to | | | | homebound should consider a companion or |
| foster psychological health. Valliant points out that | | | | caregiver as a personal resource to accomplish |
| in ancient Greece, the word scholar meant leisure, | | | | social contact on a regular basis. Developing a |
| suggesting that free time is best spent in learning | | | | spiritual life at church, at home, or in the |
| new things. In summary, create joyful reasons to | | | | community may also provide some older adults |
| get out of bed everyday! | | | | with the strength to face challenges in their lives |
| The creation of healthy habits is important for the | | | | and lead happier lives. Many churches have |
| physical and mental well-being of every adult. | | | | volunteers to visit the homebound. |
| Eating nutritionally, avoiding cigarettes and alcohol | | | | Aging well means that growing old is not a time |
| abuse, exercising daily, and living adaptively all | | | | of life to be feared, unrewarded or resented. |
| foster good health at any age. Even older adults | | | | Slowly new positive words, definitions and ideas |
| can improve the status of their health by | | | | about growing old successfully are evolving with |
| beginning new regimens with the guidance of their | | | | the baby boomers, so that being old will no longer |
| physician. By maintaining appropriate body weight | | | | be denied by older adults. Growing old will become |
| and participating in exercises that strengthen | | | | a welcomed time of life to honor ourselves with |
| muscles, improve balance, gait and endurance, | | | | all the blessings life has to offer. In 1874, Henri |
| even elders in their 70’s and 80’s | | | | Amiel wrote, “To know how to grow old is |
| can improve the quality of their lives. The website | | | | the master-work of wisdom, and one of the |
| sponsored by USDA, provides information about | | | | most difficult chapters in the great art of |
| healthy food choices and calorie intake based on a | | | | living.” Now 21st century knowledge is |
| person’s age, weight and activity level. | | | | paving the way to our success! |