MORE THAN SKIN DEEP: Wrinkles, sags and age spots are ultimately not very serious in terms of good health, but they rank high in the way younger adults perceive aging.
Two of the biggest enemies of healthy skin are smoking and excessive sun exposure. Some individuals smoke because they’re afraid of gaining weight if they stop. A bigger worry should be the wrinkles and sags they’ll get prematurely if they don’t. Sun exposure contributes not only to wrinkles but also to the blotchy appearance and various growths that start appearing on the skin after age 50. Some of these growths are pre-cancerous so there’s good reason to protect your skin with sunscreen and protective clothing. The hours you spend on the beach may give you a tan when you’re young, but when you’re in your 50s and 60s, they’re going to leave you with skin blemishes known as “age” or “liver” spots. Trying to avoid these spots by staying out of the sun in later life will not help. They appear as a result of cumulative rather than short-term exposure. With sun exposure, however, there is some redeeming value. Sunlight is one of the best sources of vitamin D, which helps maintain strong bones and may protect against prostate, breast and other cancers.
BONE UP: There is nothing that can make you look and feel older than sagging shoulders, loss of height and bones that break easily. Hip fractures are a major reason for loss of independence, and they are usually correlated with loss of bone density that often occurs with aging. You can protect your bone density by getting plenty of weight-bearing exercise throughout life and by eating calcium-rich foods.
MUSCLE UP: Studies have demonstrated that even frail men and women in their 80s and 90s can build muscle mass and gain health benefits from strength training. Regardless of its effect on appearance (and it will firm up sagging body parts), resistance training can increase your walking speed, help you get up and down from a chair and provide protection from falls and fractures.
EXERCISE YOUR HEART: If there is a fountain of youth, it is regular exercise. According to one study, aerobic exercise can be expected to tack an additional 10 to 12 years on to your life. But even more important, it will make whatever years you have left more productive and enjoyable. Brisk walking, running, cycling or swimming will keep your heart and cardiovascular system as strong as your bones and muscles. A person who goes from being sedentary to being fit, according to studies, reduces his or her risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke by 75 to 80 percent. Other benefits of exercise are well known: lower cholesterol and blood pressure, better weight control, protection against heart failure, cancer and diabetes.
EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN: The brain’s nerve network declines and blood flow to the brain decreases with aging. But while brief lapses of memory are normal aging, dementia is not. Dementia causes severe impairment of social relationships and makes independent living difficult. Steps you can take to prevent or delay dementia include not smoking, getting regular exercise, maintaining a strong social network and giving yourself continuing mental challenges through reading, writing, attending classes and learning new things.
IT’S ALL IN YOUR MIND: A survey of older adults found that 90 percent had given serious thought to successful aging. Among the items they mentioned as important to achieving it were:
- remaining in good health until close to death;
- being able to stay independent;
- remaining free of chronic disease; and
- having support from family and friends.
For each of those items, there are choices you can make that will keep you in the swim of life. Persons who maintain a regular program of aerobic exercise through middle age may be able to delay the effects of aging, including loss of independence. Regular exercise aids in nighttime sleeping as well.
- What constitutes successful aging? Some characteristics are:
- higher cognitive functioning and lack of dementia;
- ability to adapt to changes and challenges;
- strong social involvement and support; and
- overall satisfaction with life.
Casey M. Valiente, PharmD
