Why are some people youthful long after middle age? Why are some 50-year-olds able to hang out as equals, physically and mentally, with people who are in their 20s and 30s?
It isnt a matter of age denial; its a technique of age prevention. Learning the basics of keeping age away comes down to some simple tips, according to Jim Walker, the sports science director at the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Murray, Utah.
You cant stop aging, but you can slow it down, says Walker, who has a doctoral degree in physiology.
The internationally known scientist offers these tips for staying more youthful as you get older:
• Stay strong: As we age, we lose muscle mass. This also causes a loss in cardiac function, so your aerobic capacity goes down as well. A routine of physical activity, especially something that increases the heart rate and works up a sweat, will help slow down the loss of muscle mass.
• Stand up straight: Posture change is a common symptom of age; the torso bends forward. Because we spend so much time sitting, muscles that support the upper body weaken, so we sag forward at the hips. Concentrate on walking with your pelvis out and shoulders back; it will make you look and feel younger.
• Stretch: Its important for warding off a lot of issues, including muscle atrophy. Put together a 10-minute stretching routine and do it every evening before going to bed.
• Laugh: A lot of people stop laughing as they age. Continue to see the funny side of life, to enjoy a good joke or a comedy. Dont let the years make you too serious.
• Eat well: Do your own cooking and enjoy the taste of home-cooked food. Sit down and eat your meals rather than gulping them down so youre not just putting calories in your body.
• Stay balanced: Falls are one of the biggest causes of disability as we get older. Often, its because our balance has deteriorated. While physical activity helps maintain balance, you also can do regular balance-specific exercises, like standing on one leg, then the other; or closing your eyes and turning in a circle, trying to stop at the exact place you started.
• Be social: Being around people not only keeps your social skills sharp, it makes you better at communicating with others. Spending too much time alone, reading or watching TV, can become a habit that leads to isolation.
• Keep learning: Sign up for a community college course or research a new subject. This forces your brain to make new pathways, maintaining or even increasing your mental sharpness.
• Stay useful: Volunteer to help at cultural or sporting events. Tutor a child. Run for local office. Be visible, so that everyone knows youre a valuable member of your community.
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