Healthy aging takes some effort

"Old age" used to be blamed for so many losses: vision, hearing, memory, muscle mass, bone strength, healing quickly. It turns out, though, that healthy aging is a mix of genetics, luck and effort. You can't do much about the first two, but that last one is a matter of choice.

"You truly have to create your own successful aging," says Salt Lake geriatrician Dr. Fred Gottlieb, who counsels patients to use their bodies and minds in new ways, to find meaning and stay active.

It is that quest that drives Gertrude Fish, 92, to tai chi class every Wednesday at the West Jordan Senior Center. It's why 102-year-old Margarete Hicken slow walks around the block with her walker. When Donna Landes was 89, she was on hospice, her death apparently imminent. Six months of calisthenics and yoga later, she sent the hospice people packing.

The landmark MacArthur Foundation Study of Successful Aging found three things that most impact quality of life for the elderly: staying actively engaged, reducing risk of disease as much as possible, and maintaining high physical and cognitive function levels.

The researchers found older participants who had the best lung function declined least over time. The consistently active declined half as much as couch potatoes. And moderate activity was as good as strenuous activity.

Decline was also less among those who worked or volunteered regularly into their old age. Those positives stretched over to decrease cognitive decline as well.

• Muscle, metabolism and mass: Much of what you bring as assets into old age was accumulated early. Girls peak in bone mass at about 14 to 16, boys around 18 or 19, so bone-building exercise and calcium intake are crucial for children. Later, you'll store less calcium, and bone mass starts to dwindle. Weight-bearing exercise and calcium supplements slow that down. With less dense bones, an individual is more likely to be hurt in a fall — or to fall in the first place.

If you don't keep building muscle mass and maintaining flexibility, it gets harder to do simple things like dressing and you'll tire more easily. Over time, metabolism slows, so there's simply more of you, which is not healthy. It can be jump-started with strength training and other exercises. The more muscle you build, the higher the metabolic rate and the more energy you have.

You can also improve balance by simple exercises like standing on one leg with your eyes closed. People who exercise and eat well are also less likely to develop diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.