Did you know that physical exercise benefits both the body AND the brain? Research suggests that even 20 minutes of exercise benefits our cognitive and memory functions.

It was long believed that the brain lost “placticity” – its ability to change, learn and develop – as we age. Today we know that the brain is quite flexible even late in life. If you are an expert in a certain skill, the areas of your brain associated with that skill will strengthen as part of that process. This is observable in the brain scans of musicians, taxi drivers, and people who speak more than one language.

Looking for ways to expand my cognitive powers, I recently discovered Lumosity.com. In their words:

Lumosity is the web’s #1 site for brain training. Designed by neuroscientists and based on extensive research, our cognitive training program can improve memory, attention and processing speed. We work with scientists from Stanford and UCSF to design engaging exercises with proven results. Users report clearer thinking, increased alertness and better concentration.
Lumosity’s training program can be accessed anytime and anywhere at Lumosity.com.

There are some factors that we cannot control – age and race in particular. Prostate cancer is extremely rare before age 40, but increasingly common as we get older. It is also more prevalent in African American men.

Outside of these factors, there are things you can do to reduce the likelihood of prostate issues including cancer. Overweight men have a higher incidence. Regular exercise, fiber in your diet, and cooked tomatoes (which contain lycopene) are helpful practices to minimize your risk.

Last, get regular health screenings – especially if this runs in your family. Prostate cancer is most treatable when it is discovered early.

Chronological age is simply a matter of the time since your birth. If you were born on this day in 1962, you’re turning fifty today. (Happy Birthday, by the way).

Your biological age takes into account genetics, lifestyle choices, stress level and other factors – to measure your level of vitality in comparison to others with your chronological age. Under difficult conditions, it’s possible for a 40-year old to more closely resemble a 50-year old on a cellular level.

Yesterday’s post discussed this in more detail. Although we can’t change our chronological age (except by letting more time pass), we have a great deal more influence over our biological age – through our dietary choices, how active we are, and even through the quality of our internal dialogue. These factors also play into our ability to avoid disease.

Because genetics, mindset, lifestyle habits and disease all play a role in the aging process, you might see someone who is old in their 50’s or 60’s or someone 80-90 and older who appears young and vibrant. As medical technology increases, the ability of people to live into later and later years increases. It is anticipated that the number of people aged 65 or above will reach 70 million by the year 2030. Ideally, what we wish for is a life that is full and rich, independent and functional, then one day ends in sudden death. Instead what the majority of us will experience is life going steadily, then hitting “tipping points” along the way. Those tipping points, in the form of major illness, heart attack, dementia, etc., will begin a decline as the body in its diminished capacity works to deal with a current condition.

So while chronological age will naturally occur to each of us, what we worry about in regards to physiological aging are things like cardiovascular diseases, cancers, COPD, Alzheimers, Diabetes and accidents. In this respect, active versus inactive people tend to remain fitter, more able-bodied and independent later in life. What are the tools that a fitter person uses to retain viability, where a sedentary person may not?

Cardiorespiratory Endurance is your body’s ability to most effectively take in, deliver and utilize oxygen at the cellular level. A fit body, exercising regularly will be delivering rich, oxygenated blood to every healthy cell. If cells start suffocating of oxygen deprivation, the body has to fight harder to stay alive. This is the bad news.

Typically, cardiorespiratory ability will decrease about 30% between the ages of 20 and 65. It is thought that the stiffening of the heart walls as we age, which delays the filling of ventricles with blood, is what causes our maximum heart rate to decline. Also, the valves in our veins that help return blood to the heart will begin deteriorating. Overall, the amount of blood that the heart can pump in one beat, then retrieve from the veins (maximal stroke volume) begins to decline. This affects overall blood circulation and oxygen saturation throughout the cells.

The good news is that this process can be slowed and even reversed with consistent cardiovascular training. Simply increasing your activity level by walking briskly 30 minutes a day, doing your own housework or yardwork and using stairs instead of elevators can significantly reduce your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Research shows that incorporating a vigorous training program can increase cardiovascular fitness by 25% in older, sedentary individuals.

Weakness and muscle atrophy occur in older age because of a decrease in the size of muscle fibers, as well as the loss of the fast twitch muscle fibers. We also lose the ability to recruit muscle fibers quickly. All of this lessens coordination, slows mobility, and makes it more difficult to handle heavy resistances. But this doesn’t mean that we have to sit down. Studies show that strength training programs lasting 3 days a week for just 8 weeks can increase muscle strength by 174% for elderly participants. Resistances of 80% of a person’s maximum ability lead to significant gains in muscle strength, size and functional mobility, even if they are frail in the beginning of training.

Nutrition remains as significant to health in later years as it does through our prime. Aging decreases body mass, so caloric needs go down. It’s important to remember that we won’t likely get away with eating the same amount of food when we are over 60 as we did when we were in our twenties. Activity levels play a role in our nutritional needs at any age. More activity will allow us more food than a sedentary lifestyle will regardless of age.

Because of the tissue loss that accompanies age, protein needs are slightly higher. Vitamins and minerals may be consumed by the elderly in lower amounts than they should be. It’s important to pay attention to B Vitamins, Vitamin D, Calcium and Iron, Sodium and Potassium. Water intake often declines with age: lowered thirst mechanism, less bladder control, possibly forgetting to drink, and immobility can be contributors. Other things that may inhibit nutritional health in the elderly are digestive orders, dental problems, cancer, alcoholism, medications, depression/loneliness, loss of a spouse, confusion, and lack of mobility. Having a support system may be crucial to nutritional survival.

Whether you are at an age where you’re starting to feel a few more aches and pains, or deal with some of the chronic conditions associated with later years; or if you have a parent at an age requiring care, longevity can be supported. Despite the concerns that may need to be address, it is possible to age gracefully and maintain functional mobility in the process!

Ernestine Shepherd

Ernestine Shepherd decided at age 56 to transform her sedentary lifestyle. She and her sister began training together after a trip to shop for bathing suits. When her sister died shortly after, she knew it would be her sister’s wish that she stick to her goal of getting fit. She took the lifestyle to heart so much that she became a trainer herself. In 2007, at the age of 71, Ernestine decided to train for a body building competition and took first place in her class seven months later. In 2010, Ernestine was named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest performing female bodybuilder. She says that “being out of shape as we age… is merely an option — NOT a mandate!”

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