“Not only do persons with better health habits survive longer, but in such persons, disability is postponed and compressed into fewer years at the end of life,” reports The New England Journal of Medicine. Indeed, the first hurdle can be lowered by changing such habits as eating, drinking, sleeping, smoking, and exercise. Consider, for example, exercise habits.
Physical-exercise habits. Moderate physical exercise goes a long way. (See the box “How Much and What Kind of Exercise?”) Studies show that simple exercises in and around the home help the elderly, including the ‘oldest old,’ to regain strength and vitality. For instance, one group of older people ranging from 72 to 98 years of age found that they could walk faster and climb stairs more easily after doing some weight-lifting exercises for just ten weeks. And no wonder! Tests taken after the exercise program showed that the participants’ muscle strength had more than doubled. Another group, made up of mostly sedentary women up to 70 years of age, exercised twice a week. After a year, they had gained in muscle mass, as well as in strength, balance, and bone density. “When we started, we were afraid we’d rip ligaments, pop tendons, tear muscles,” said physiologist Miriam Nelson, who conducted the studies. “But all we got was stronger, healthier people.”