Staying fit as you eld seems to be a good strategy regardless of whether or not you have children. Under any circumstance, why would you want to become that immobile, vacant, dependent, Depends-dent person in front of the window watching the squirrels all day. There isn't much point in spending a lot of time on the subject of fitness in this blog as it has been well covered elsewhere.
However, since this is in part a manual for our personal adventure in elditude, we will make note of a couple of interesting things we heard the other day in a talk by Dr. Richard Besdine, Director of the Center for Gerontology & Healthcare Research at Brown University, speaking at the Redwood Library, titled "Fit at 50, Sexy at 70". Works for me.
- Behavior patterns are more important than genetics and the environment on maintaining good health as we age. Form healthy behavior habits.
-Blood pressure - eat right, exercise and treat when necessary.
-Exercise - make it fun. If it is fun you will develop a habit of doing it (remember "Habit"?). Also, the French Paradox has nothing to do with wine. It results from using public transportation, which results in more walking, which is good exercise.
-Smoking - STOP IT!
-Drive safely, or don't drive. Move to a place with good public transportation. Like Paris!
-Immunizations - get 'em. Flu, pneumonia, shingles, etc.
-Pills - don't overdo it. Make sure your Dr. knows what you are taking. Most dietary supplements don't do any harm, but don't do much if any good. Ginco can be bad for bleeding.
-Calcium - take it. Both men and women need it. With vitamin D. 50% of women in norther climates have vitamin D deficiency.
-Aspirin - not sure. Mixed benefits. Jury is still out.
-Environment - clean it up. remove toxins, get fire alarms.
-Guns - get rid of 'em. The odds of being shot by your own gun is 10x higher than the odds of you shooting someone else. Also, a common occurrence: wife dies, husband is depressed, drinks, shoots self. There is a reason why the NRA is opposed to DR's even asking if you have a gun (it is illegal in some states). They know it is a risk factor, and don't want you to know it.
-Screening - colonoscopy, mammograms. PSA is controversial. Test over age 70 does not improve survival.
-Booze - tolerance declines with age. Same amount drunk results in more alcohol in blood stream.
-Oral Health - not covered by Medicare. Brush.
-Osteoporosis - See calcium above. 1,500mg/day, plus 800u Vitamin D/day.
-Falls - Elder women have worse balance than elder men. Falls compound the osteo problem (fragile bones). Yoga, Tai Chi are great for improving balance. Falls cause anxiety, which carries over into all aspects of life. Wear good shoes, maintain strength (resistance training, not just cardio), watch vision closely.
-Emotional Health - you can train yourself to be happy (Habit!). Strive to reduce stress.
-Social networks - social people live longer. Friends count.
-Sex - Need I say more?
-Sleep - Treat discomfort factors. Limit caffeine, it stays in the blood stream longer as we age. Best treatment for insomnia is a warm drink, a dark room, soft music and a back rub. See Sex above.
-Dementia/Alzheimer's - limit risk by exercise, diet, use your brain (do puzzles, learn a language, keep working, interact with surroundings). Don't box or play football.
-Advanced Directives - you need these at the time of admission to a medical facility. Make sure someone, everyone, knows what you want to happen. Most elders are not afraid to talk about it, so listen to them/us. I plan to have mine tattoo'd on my chest.
-Sex - Did I mention this?
Any other ideas? I am especially interested in how to make your advanced directives heard. How does the ambulance EMT know that you do not want to be resuscitated? Do you even want an EMT to make that decision? Short of having them tattoo'd on your chest, how do you make your wishes know when you are alone, without family to represent you? Please let me know what you think.
Michael
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