When asked if they’d like to live to be 100 more people , 77%, say yes. Often with a caveat or two. The biggest concerns for most people are health, health care and finances. If you live 20 or 30 years longer then you planned - then what?
People fear diminished capacity – either physical, intellectual or both. There has been a lot of great new evidence that even if you don’t live in a Blue Zone you can greatly affect how you age with diet, exercise and staying connected to your community.
And the extra good news is: what is good for your body is good for your brain: as Heidi Godman reported in Harvard Health Blog recent studies at the University of British Columbia “found that regular aerobic exercise, the kind that gets your heart and your sweat glands pumping, appears to boost the size of the hippocampus, the brain area involved in verbal memory and learning. Resistance training, balance and muscle toning exercises did not have the same results.The finding comes at a critical time. Researchers say one new case of dementia is detected every four seconds globally. They estimate that by the year 2050, more than 115 million people will have dementia worldwide.”
One simplest way to add this kind of exercise to your day is -Take the Stairs.
In an article for Live Science.com Marlene Cimons quotes Dr. Ava Kaufman as saying: “ Everyone loses muscle mass as they approach their 90s, although studies have shown that resistance training and weightlifting can slow this process.' Add to this some sweat inducing movement and you have a formula for healthy longevity.
Barbara Resnick, a geriatric nurse says. " The best way to manage frailty: Engage as much as you can; optimize what you can do. What's important is resilience.''
"You don't have to go to an exercise program at the gym,'' Kaufman says. "Clean your house. Walk to the mailbox to get your mail, or work in your garden. The greatest common denominator of frailty is muscle loss and slowing of gait, and it's amazing what physical exercise can do.''
Need a touch more inspiration watch the documentary: IMPOSSIBLE DREAMERS it follows older athletes and shows what you can do even if you get a late start! Truly Astonishing.
If it is Good for your Body it is Good for your Brain!
