Not too long ago, people who were 65 years old and older were expected to retire from work and lead a sedentary life.
Those days are long gone.
Although life expectancy in the United States is about 79 years old, better health care, medical discoveries, and healthier lifestyle habits have contributed to people living well into their 80s and 90s.
But the aging process still means gradual physical and cognitive decay. How can we age gracefully and be able to enjoy our golden years?
Besides getting adequate sleep, not smoking, and refraining from too much alcohol, the key to aging well is to combine exercise with a healthy nutritional diet, experts agree.
Joseph Signorile, professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences at the University of Miami School of Education and Human Development, wrote "Bending the Aging Curve: The Complete Exercise Guide for Older Adults." His research focuses on targeting exercises to the needs of the individual, especially older people. He believes that no matter what age they may be, people can slow the decline of their bodies with regular exercise.
"As we age, the body slows down because of loss of muscle mass and decrease in muscle maximum strength, power, and muscle quality," he said.
To reverse this trend, it is important to do daily strength-based training with weights and strength training machines, he said.
But he warns that for those who wish to start an exercise regimen, finding the appropriate coach is crucial. A coach can accurately guide the intensity and frequency of each exercise, depending on the individual's needs.
These exercises strengthen the muscles to help seniors continue to carry out their daily activities like getting up from a chair, climbing stairs, and lifting a carton of milk. Resistance training will also help prevent falls, which is something many seniors fear, he said.
Remaining physically active is important, he said.
"If you are going to say to your muscles that it is OK to sit all day on the sofa and watch TV, then the muscles say, 'We've got this,'" he said. "But if instead you decide to fight against old age and increase the quality of your muscles and their strength and power that is how you bend the aging curve."
Signorile said it is an important part of exercise to recognize when your body is telling you to slow down because it needs to recover, as recovery is the time that your muscles adapt to the overloads provided by exercise.
"We do not encourage you to work out until you have pain," he said. If there is pain, the body is telling you to slow down and take a break. Taking a few weeks off from exercise will not undo all the work that has been done throughout the year. In fact, developing a workout calendar that includes periods of exercise and recovery will maximize your gains, he said.
Aging also means that the metabolism starts to slow down, which makes it easier to gain extra pounds.
Arlette Perry, professor in Kinesiology and Sport Sciences, said that in order to maintain one's weight, controlling the size of food portions is necessary. She emphasized that often Americans tend to eat three or four times the recommended portions of certain foods, such as muffins, chicken, or steaks. This increases the amount of sugars, protein, and total kilocalories that people consume versus what they think they consume.
"When you talk to people about being healthy, you need to combine both exercise and nutrition because they are inextricably related, and I don't think people realize that," she said.
As people age, the risk for high blood pressure and heart disease increases, so it is important for seniors to modify diets.
Perry offered these tips for older adults:
- Concentrate on a high fiber diet, which includes plenty of beans, vegetables, fruits, and complex carbohydrates.
- Visit farmers markets that feature local vendors who provide fresh produce and fruits.
- Avoid salty foods that can increase blood pressure.
- Avoid too much red meat and replace it with plant-based alternatives.
- Increase protein intake (1 gram for each kilogram of body weight); (1 kilogram is about 2.2. pounds)
- Consider switching from whole cow milk to plant-based alternatives such as soy, almond, or oat.
- Consider supplements such as vitamin B12 complex, vitamin C, and vitamin D if not getting them from a regular diet.
Besides diet and exercise, remaining engaged in their community and being socially active is crucial for both physical and mental health, she said.
