Well-preserved older folks - their secrets?

[Alexandra]

I asked this question a while back on the old board and found the answers so interesting. Do you know an elderly person who is vibrant and healthy? What do you think they have done to maintain that?

Is it too late to make some NY resolutions? :)

Alexandra

[chai]

I had a neighbor couple who both lived to around 105--most of that time living on their own. I saw them out for a walk every single day. (They were married 80 years! How amazing is that!)

[Ferdie]

My mom is amazing. She is 83 and still works part-time at a preschool. Since she is a type 2 diabetic, she faithfully works out several times a week and eats super healthy. Her normal menu is oatmeal for breakfast, sandwich and apple for lunch and protein with lots of veggies for dinner.

 

She has always had a passion for the outdoors. She loved to hike, (before her knees gave out), bird watching and gardening.

[LaxMom]

I think it's all in the attitude. I see people all the time who are well into the 80s and very active and happy. It hasn't occurred to them to give up or change because the calendar has.

 

And I see people in their 50s who are just plain old; they're the ones that trap you in a corner and show you the site of every ache, pain and medical prod, and regale you for hours about their medication schedule... the ones who are heard regularly saying "I can't do that, I have <fill in the blanks>".

[joannqn]

The most vibrant older people I've known were an ex-boyfriend's grandparents. They were in the 80's. What I saw was that seemed to contribute to their good life was long marriage (60+ years at the time), active lifestyle (walked after dinner every day, played golf, painted, etc.), active socially, and they took vitamins.

[elegantlion]

My mom is pretty cool. She is 72, looks great and take almost no medication. She's always had a positive outlook on anything, has loved people unconditionally, stood up for her convictions, had a real concern for others and worked to stay in love with my dad for 49 years this month. They have

a healthy marriage ;), and my mom works to take care of herself. She talks about things with me, probably more than she should, but she doesn't hold her emotions in. She deals with things and moves on. She doesn't believe everything she hears and she still dresses nice when they go out. I think her secret is that she loves life and guards her way to live it. She's not perfect, but I hope to have her energy when I'm that age.

 

She did remind me earlier this year to make sure you are the weight you want to be when you get close to 50, because the skin isn't so elastic after that. :lol:

[JennifersLost]

Happiness, community, a daily walk.

 

I think movement on a daily basis is huge. I also think having a clear conscience and greeting each new day knowing that you are doing your best is huge.

 

And a sense of humor is necessary, too.

 

I've been thinking a lot lately about all of this - how to cut back on all the "have-to's" in my life so that my daily schedule can feel like there's time for everything, including for friendships and helping other people. I think we all try to cram way too much into our days. It's like we're living at double-time.

 

So maybe learning to say no to a lot of stuff is important, too?

[E_Edgerton]

I am sure there are books about "blue zones"...where there is the most concentrated number of people who are nearing 100 and are still living good lives. I think a great deal of it is overall happiness in life, good diet, and regular exercise. I would say a healthy dose of good genes wouldn't hurt either. :)

[TeacherZee]

My grandmother wasn't very healthy when she passed away early last year but she hung in much much much longer than we thought she would and she was happy until the end. I think for her the secret was that she never considered herself old. She broke her arm one year (because of a very evil bus driver) and she was in a care facility for a while (she would NOT stay with any of her children long complicated story) and when she came out of the facility I talked to her. She confided in me that it had been a wonderful facility, great staff and they had great programs for field trips etc BUT she said, it was full of old people (she was over 80) but she didn't consider herself old. She would talk to me and my cousins like we were the same age and we loved it. She was my hero.

[lynn]

What I saw in my grandmothers who passed away at 85 and 93. They stayed active. They spoke their minds. Never seemed to stress about things. My Oma worked in a nursing home until she was 80 and loved it. They kept in contact with family. Learned new things. Read a lot. Wrote letters to grandchildren and family members. Traveled. They did not isolate themselves from friends or family. The genuinely enjoyed and embraced life, loved to laugh a lot, enjoyed a drink with family and friends. They were not rich by any means.

[MrsMe]

If you pay attention to the ones on TV who live in their 100's, most are relatively mellow; they don't stress and they've kept busy including exercise and hobbies almost no matter what they ate (that would be genetic). One even smoked. That IS genetic.

 

My guess tops is reduce stress, then diet and exercise, the latter usually some basic form.

 

If I put all those together, it counts me out. This year.....if I'm not dead before then, these are my goals.

[Happy]

My mil decided sometime in her thirties or forties that she didn't need or couldn't do any sort of consistant exercise. No walk after dinner....nothing. She didn't watch what she ate, so after 50 her weight ballooned. She's had hip replacement surgery and really wants her knees replaced (she keeps switching doctors to find one who'll agree with her.) She's had shoulder surgery, too. After every surgery, she doesn't do her exercises and the joint stiffens up.

 

She goes to church, but isn't active or particularly social.

 

Now at seventy-five and a widow, she can hardly move around her house. She is narrow and critical in her thinking and opinions. Very few people want to spend any time with such a negative, unhappy woman. No fun at all.

 

Contrast her to my bunko buddy who will be 84 next summer....active physically, mentally, and socially. She can get down and back up off the floor almost better than I can. She is fun and interesting to talk to. Since her body works, she can travel and that makes her more interesting.

 

On days when I don't want to drag my over 50 bod out the door to walk, I think about which woman I want to be in thirty years. I hit the street every time.

 

Work the body, work the mind, stay connected with others. That's the recipe I'm following.

[Zelda]

I'm going to say it largely genetic but I also think you don't tend to see many very heavy set advanced seniors. Perhaps maintaining a consistent healthy weight is very advantageous.

 

I was going to agree with the low key thing too but then I remembered my grandmother who is a bit of nervous bird. Maybe she's an outlier.

[EKS]

The well preserved older people I know seem to have a few things in common: nonsmoking, regular exercise, a good social network, and activities that keep their brains active.

[Danestress]

Some habits and attitude, and of course some luck.

 

My kids have a violin teacher who is in the second half of her 80s. Some days she is more physically uncomfortable than others, but she always radiates happiness and good health. She loves working with children, laughs all the time at the funny things they do, never seems to think she already knows everything and just is genuinely curious about other people. I adore her, and hope to be more like her when I am older.

[Peela]

My grandfather is 95 and still going, living at home, checking his email daily, going to garage sales regularly. Amazing dude. He has always had a "Shed" in the back yard filled with "blokey stuff", down to different sized screws in different jars, various old sewing machines etc. Just the other day he was using his circular saw though, and he cut himself badly- he reckons its the first time in his whole life he has cut himself after using the saw hundreds of times.

He has also always been a player on the stockmarket, so he looks up his share prices every day.

When younger he was a school teacher, a pilot in WW2, a gliding instructor, a womaniser, a buyer and seller of 2nd hand things. He sold dh and I our first tv for $10! It blew up the day before we were moving across the country, but it was great for the few months we had it.

I am sure his secret is that he just keeps using his brain, has interests...and he has a great wife 15 years younger than him who feeds him well. He only recently learned to use the oven, and the microwave, because she was in hospital!

I read an article in the paper here a few months back about blokes and sheds. They did a study and they found that men who have a shed where they can go potter and "do stuff" are much happier than men who dont! In fact, they are running courses where men can go and potter and do stuff in sheds together!

[Tess in the Burbs]

he told me last year the difference in being 80 and feeling/looking 60 vs being 60 and looking/feeling 80 is daily exercise. the people who commit to a healthy way of living and daily get exercise in are the ones we are in awe of their abilities in old age.

 

*sigh* I hate exercise :glare:

[dirty ethel rackham]

I think it is a combination of genetics, attitude, and plain old luck. Yep, eating right, getting exercise, and having a positive attitude go a long way. However, some people work hard on the eating right, have great attitudes, but exercise is all but taken away from them by chronic illnesses that do not have a lifestyle component.

 

My bad knees and bad back are not a result of being heavy because the problems started when I was very young (some problems were from elementary school) and thinner. I gained weight in my late thirties when high-intensity exercise became just too painful to continue. I still exercise regularly because, if I don't, I won't be able to get out of bed. However, running and gardening are not in my future. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I will probably live into my 80's or later because longevity is in my genes. Great grandpa lived to 96. Two great aunts over 100. My mom, who has had chronic health problems since her teens will be 80 this year (and she has never been an exerciser, nor was she a mellow person when I was growing up, but has mellowed with age.)

 

I just hope my golden years, will be active, pain-controlled years, rather than hobbling along the sidelines with my grocery bag full of meds.

[Sharon H in IL]

My DH is a doc and he says the most important thing is to pick your parents carefully. Remember the man who started the craze for jogging in the 1970's, Jim Fixx. Healthy as a horse until he died of a massive heart attack at 40-something. He lived 10 years longer than his father, apparently.

 

That said, keeping active is huge. Social relationships, learning new things to keep your mind working, and not overeating.

 

Sigh. I hate to exercise. I need to find hard productive work. 'Working out' just in order to sweat makes me crazy at the uselessness of it.

[Josie]

Keep the thoughts coming.

[sagira]

Interesting thread. I look younger than my age (32 tomorrow) and get carded a lot. I'm easygoing, have a good attitude, and generally don't stress over the small stuff. I eat better than most people I know, but I could do better. Lately, I've been eating more sweets as I love baking. I eat a lot, but don't gain weight easily, especially now that I'm nursing my toddler. I'm 117 lbs. in a five-foot-five frame.

 

I love knowledge, researching, and I keep my mind active. I also have hobbies and friends. However, I flunk in the exercise department. I really dislike exercise. I like to sit around a lot. In fact, I could easily sit most of the day or all day :tongue_smilie:

 

After reading this thread, I'm wondering if I should start to incorporate more exercise into my day. We do own a Wii, and I like nature. Thanks for the tips!

 

My mom is 70, and looks young too, but has aches and pains and takes eight different medications daily. She has an irregular heartbeat, arthritis, fybromialgia (sp?), high blood pressure, diabetes, and is somewhat but not grossly overweight. She's also had 11 surgeries in her lifetime, including two total knee replacements. She gets stressed easily, has virtually no friends, lives far away from her family (only us, I'm an only child), is very critical, easily depressed, negative in her outlook and thinks everyone is out to get her and is very emotional.

 

I wonder if all this is the reason she suffers so much, or I am headed the same way. Her mother didn't have as many problems (except type 2 diabetes) and died of a stroke at the age of 82.

[Alaska Mom]

One of the best quotes I've ever heard from a celebrity was by Meryl Streep, when asked about her age and appearance she said "the best face lift is happiness".

 

I think it's all in the attitude. My mom is over 70 and is so beautiful and energetic, I'm convinced it's her attitude.

[dawn of ns]

My husband's grandparents who are in their early eighties. They eat huge homecooked meals, walk, have hobbies like knitting and active social lives. They also drink a lot and my grandfather says it preserves him by pickling him but I'm sceptical.:D