You may not realise it, but fate has given you an extraordinary gift. You have been born at a point where people live longer than at any time in human history. Compared with the vast majority of people who have passed through this planet, you have been given on average 30 years' more life to enjoy than to they had. Do you realise how wonderful this is?
...You can add even more years to your life by having a healthy, optimistic outlook
Until a century ago, the average person died in his or her 40s. Before the 20th century, the cycle of life was much more compressed for most people. Your work life might have begun at the age of eight or ten; by 15 you were a parent; by 30, a grandparent; and by 40, your body was more than likely broken, pain-filled an in final decline.
Today, most people who turn 40 believe they have yet to get to the halfway point of their lives. Some are just becoming parents; others are finally launching their 'real'careers. In biological and psychological terms, old age now begins at 80, according to Ian Robertson, dean of research at Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience in Dublin. 'This leaves 30 years -roughtly age 50 to 80, a period much longer than youth-- for which we have to invent a whole new way of living.'
After all, today's life expectancy in the UK is nearly 77 for men and 81 for women. People aged 85 and older make up the fastest-growing segment of the population in most countries. By 40, we really are just at the middle of our lives -- and our wisdom, capabilities an contributions are often just beginning.
Pete Townshend of the famed rock group The who was only 20 years old in 1965 when he penned the words, 'I hope I die before I get old', a phrase that became the rallying cry for an entire generation. More than 40 years later, Townshend and The Who are still releasing creative,
high-intensity rock albums and touring the world. Their appearance might be older, but their energy and attitude aren't. The message: being old no longer has much to do with the number of years you've lived.
So what is 'old'? Old may be your great-grandmother, who has bent, shaky and mentally faded well before her time. Old are the people whose vitality long ago slipped away, leaving them in wheelchairs in nursing homes. Old is the lonely, tired older person who stays in the house and talks to the cats all day in between television shows.
As for the rest of us-- we're just getting started.
THE GOAL: LONG HEALTH
Popular phrases such as 'anti-ageing' and 'long life'are deceptive. They imply that the goal of healthy living is to add more years to your life. And, in fact, you can add even more years to your life by having a healthy, optimistic outlook. Some scientists hypothesise that the human body, when perfectly maintained, can comfortably last 120 years before naturally giving out.
But as mentioned, modern healthcare and lifestyles have already given you the opportunity to live to a ripe old age far beyond that of our ancestors. The goal today isn't merely extra years. It is long health.
'Long health' means that you are vibrant, creative and energised at any age -- be it 44, 58, 72, 85 or 94. It's understanding that although we all have to die one day, an infirm, sedentary life is not the inevitable final chapter of our lives. It means that you do not accept that the diseases of ageing --heart disease, arthritis, insomnia, Alzheimer's diabetes and so on - are your destiny. Long health is living an active, healthy, happy, purposeful life -- now and right up until your very final days.
Sounds ideal, doesn't it?
Better still, long health (as you will discover throughout this topics) isn't achieved by swallowing pills, visiting doctors or launching yet another formal exercise routine. Ageing is neither a disease to be treated with medicine nor a process to be reversed through denial, sacrifice or hard work.
Instead, achieving long health is a process to be respected and enjoyed. As you'll read over and over, active happy living every day is the path to long health.
In other words: the best path to being happy, energised and healthy in the future is living happily, energetically and healthy in the present.
So what is the first step to achieving long health? It is recalibrating how you think about ageing. Throw out any notions that ageing is a slow, sad decline towards death, and that your goal is merely to get to some artificial age threshold, like a high-stakes marathon race in which all that matters is reaching the finish line, no matter what torture it causes you.
The truth is that how long you live isn't the issue; it's how well you live. Nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing someone you love confined to a nursing home aged 72. Instead, wouldn't you rather see someone of 72 still playing tennis? Or 75 and running for public office for the first time? Or 81 and completing a 4 mile hike through a forest on a beautiful day? These are not hypothetical examples; these are all activities that real people, real 'old' people, are still doing and enjoying. There is even known to be one centenarian who plays 18 holes of golf three times a week and consistently shoots 15 strokes under his age!
The thing is, these people didn't wait until their 80s to start golfing or hiking. Rather, at some point earlier on, they chose to live more actively and healthfully - perhaps in their youth, perhaps in retirement. That's the beauty of long-health living - the benefits and pleasures it delivers are both immediate and long term.
You are part of a generation that is redefining ageing. It's already happening; when approximately 3,500 people with an average age of 80 were asked their ideas about ageing, more than 60 percent said their opinions had changed in the past 20 years. Nearly all had thought about how they could age successfully instead of viewing ageing in a negative way. To them, freedom from disease, being able to function independently and remaining actively engaged with life were critical components in successful ageing.
In addition, more than 90 percent of this group listed 'remaining in good health until close to death' as the most important component of successful ageing. After that followed:
Obviously, we're heading into a new world of ageing. There are no road maps or rules for this new world. But never fear: you won't be alone. Worldwide, the number of people aged 65 and above is increasing faster than any other demographic group, particularly in developed countries. By 2030, 12 in every 100 people will be 65 or older, nearly double the percentage in 2000. In Europe and North America, that figure will be one in five people. And throughout the developed world, those aged 85 and above are now the fastest-growing age group.
In this new world, retiring to the golf course is being replaced with working part-time, with flexible hours; active volunteering; and pursuing new interests and new friendships. Sedentary holidays such as bus tours and cruising the islands are giving way to bike trips through wine countries, volunteer missions to build houses in developing countries, and art courses in Provence.
In this new world, you're less likely than your parents and grandparents to find yourself living with a disability or in poverty, and you are more likely to have completed further education - all markers for successful ageing.
This is a world in which you accept the cosmetic changes time has wrought on your body, as long as your spirit remains robust. A world in which you have finally realised that there's more to good health than not being in bad health. And a world in which our old perceptions of ageing -- that cognitive decline and frailty are inevitable, for instance - have been turned on their head.
It is also a world in which the past can be changed, at least when it comes to harmful habits and activities. Even if you got frequent sunburns in your youth, drank a lot or (gasp!) smoked marijuana, the damage can be managed and minimised, as you'll learn in these pages. So yes, perhaps you wish you'd eaten less junk food, quit smoking earlier, done more to protect your bones and joints and worried less, but it's never too late to change and to see the benefits of those changes. That's what this book is all about.
Secrets of the long-lived
In the year 2000, the United Nations estimated that there more than 180,000 people above the age of 100 throughout the world, a figure that will jump to 3.2 million by the year 2050. Centenarians are the fastest-growing section of the UK population. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), between 1911 and 2006 the number of people aged over 100 increased 90-fold, from about 100 to around 9,000 - and by 2031 it's predicated that there will be 40,000.
If you're a man of 40 reading this, you have an 8 percent chance of reaching the magic 100, and if you're female you have almost a 12 percent chance. For babies born today the odds are even better - 18.1 percent for boys and 23.5 percent for girsls.
...You can add even more years to your life by having a healthy, optimistic outlook
Until a century ago, the average person died in his or her 40s. Before the 20th century, the cycle of life was much more compressed for most people. Your work life might have begun at the age of eight or ten; by 15 you were a parent; by 30, a grandparent; and by 40, your body was more than likely broken, pain-filled an in final decline.
Today, most people who turn 40 believe they have yet to get to the halfway point of their lives. Some are just becoming parents; others are finally launching their 'real'careers. In biological and psychological terms, old age now begins at 80, according to Ian Robertson, dean of research at Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience in Dublin. 'This leaves 30 years -roughtly age 50 to 80, a period much longer than youth-- for which we have to invent a whole new way of living.'
After all, today's life expectancy in the UK is nearly 77 for men and 81 for women. People aged 85 and older make up the fastest-growing segment of the population in most countries. By 40, we really are just at the middle of our lives -- and our wisdom, capabilities an contributions are often just beginning.
Pete Townshend of the famed rock group The who was only 20 years old in 1965 when he penned the words, 'I hope I die before I get old', a phrase that became the rallying cry for an entire generation. More than 40 years later, Townshend and The Who are still releasing creative,
high-intensity rock albums and touring the world. Their appearance might be older, but their energy and attitude aren't. The message: being old no longer has much to do with the number of years you've lived.
So what is 'old'? Old may be your great-grandmother, who has bent, shaky and mentally faded well before her time. Old are the people whose vitality long ago slipped away, leaving them in wheelchairs in nursing homes. Old is the lonely, tired older person who stays in the house and talks to the cats all day in between television shows.
As for the rest of us-- we're just getting started.
THE GOAL: LONG HEALTH
Popular phrases such as 'anti-ageing' and 'long life'are deceptive. They imply that the goal of healthy living is to add more years to your life. And, in fact, you can add even more years to your life by having a healthy, optimistic outlook. Some scientists hypothesise that the human body, when perfectly maintained, can comfortably last 120 years before naturally giving out.
But as mentioned, modern healthcare and lifestyles have already given you the opportunity to live to a ripe old age far beyond that of our ancestors. The goal today isn't merely extra years. It is long health.
'Long health' means that you are vibrant, creative and energised at any age -- be it 44, 58, 72, 85 or 94. It's understanding that although we all have to die one day, an infirm, sedentary life is not the inevitable final chapter of our lives. It means that you do not accept that the diseases of ageing --heart disease, arthritis, insomnia, Alzheimer's diabetes and so on - are your destiny. Long health is living an active, healthy, happy, purposeful life -- now and right up until your very final days.
Sounds ideal, doesn't it?
Better still, long health (as you will discover throughout this topics) isn't achieved by swallowing pills, visiting doctors or launching yet another formal exercise routine. Ageing is neither a disease to be treated with medicine nor a process to be reversed through denial, sacrifice or hard work.
Instead, achieving long health is a process to be respected and enjoyed. As you'll read over and over, active happy living every day is the path to long health.
In other words: the best path to being happy, energised and healthy in the future is living happily, energetically and healthy in the present.
So what is the first step to achieving long health? It is recalibrating how you think about ageing. Throw out any notions that ageing is a slow, sad decline towards death, and that your goal is merely to get to some artificial age threshold, like a high-stakes marathon race in which all that matters is reaching the finish line, no matter what torture it causes you.
The truth is that how long you live isn't the issue; it's how well you live. Nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing someone you love confined to a nursing home aged 72. Instead, wouldn't you rather see someone of 72 still playing tennis? Or 75 and running for public office for the first time? Or 81 and completing a 4 mile hike through a forest on a beautiful day? These are not hypothetical examples; these are all activities that real people, real 'old' people, are still doing and enjoying. There is even known to be one centenarian who plays 18 holes of golf three times a week and consistently shoots 15 strokes under his age!
The thing is, these people didn't wait until their 80s to start golfing or hiking. Rather, at some point earlier on, they chose to live more actively and healthfully - perhaps in their youth, perhaps in retirement. That's the beauty of long-health living - the benefits and pleasures it delivers are both immediate and long term.
You are part of a generation that is redefining ageing. It's already happening; when approximately 3,500 people with an average age of 80 were asked their ideas about ageing, more than 60 percent said their opinions had changed in the past 20 years. Nearly all had thought about how they could age successfully instead of viewing ageing in a negative way. To them, freedom from disease, being able to function independently and remaining actively engaged with life were critical components in successful ageing.
In addition, more than 90 percent of this group listed 'remaining in good health until close to death' as the most important component of successful ageing. After that followed:
- Being able to take care of myself until close to the time of my death
- Remaining free of chronic disease
- Having friends and family who are there for me
- Being able to make choices about factors that affect how I age, such as my diet, exercise and smoking
- Being able to cope with the challenges of my later years
- Being able to meet all of my needs and some of my wants
- Feeling satisfied with my life the majority of the time
- Being able to act according to my own inner standards and values.
Notice anything missing? Less than a third chose 'living a very long time' as a component of successful ageing. In fact, that statement was last on the list of 20 choices.
THE NEW WORLD OF AGEING
THE NEW WORLD OF AGEING
Obviously, we're heading into a new world of ageing. There are no road maps or rules for this new world. But never fear: you won't be alone. Worldwide, the number of people aged 65 and above is increasing faster than any other demographic group, particularly in developed countries. By 2030, 12 in every 100 people will be 65 or older, nearly double the percentage in 2000. In Europe and North America, that figure will be one in five people. And throughout the developed world, those aged 85 and above are now the fastest-growing age group.
In this new world, retiring to the golf course is being replaced with working part-time, with flexible hours; active volunteering; and pursuing new interests and new friendships. Sedentary holidays such as bus tours and cruising the islands are giving way to bike trips through wine countries, volunteer missions to build houses in developing countries, and art courses in Provence.
In this new world, you're less likely than your parents and grandparents to find yourself living with a disability or in poverty, and you are more likely to have completed further education - all markers for successful ageing.
This is a world in which you accept the cosmetic changes time has wrought on your body, as long as your spirit remains robust. A world in which you have finally realised that there's more to good health than not being in bad health. And a world in which our old perceptions of ageing -- that cognitive decline and frailty are inevitable, for instance - have been turned on their head.
It is also a world in which the past can be changed, at least when it comes to harmful habits and activities. Even if you got frequent sunburns in your youth, drank a lot or (gasp!) smoked marijuana, the damage can be managed and minimised, as you'll learn in these pages. So yes, perhaps you wish you'd eaten less junk food, quit smoking earlier, done more to protect your bones and joints and worried less, but it's never too late to change and to see the benefits of those changes. That's what this book is all about.
Secrets of the long-lived
In the year 2000, the United Nations estimated that there more than 180,000 people above the age of 100 throughout the world, a figure that will jump to 3.2 million by the year 2050. Centenarians are the fastest-growing section of the UK population. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), between 1911 and 2006 the number of people aged over 100 increased 90-fold, from about 100 to around 9,000 - and by 2031 it's predicated that there will be 40,000.
If you're a man of 40 reading this, you have an 8 percent chance of reaching the magic 100, and if you're female you have almost a 12 percent chance. For babies born today the odds are even better - 18.1 percent for boys and 23.5 percent for girsls.
So, what's the secret?
If only we knew. Despite dozens of studies on centenarians, there doesn't seem to be a typical life pattern or history shared by these long-lived folks. Still, researchers say that they have found some similarities.
People who live to 100 and beyond tend to:
If only we knew. Despite dozens of studies on centenarians, there doesn't seem to be a typical life pattern or history shared by these long-lived folks. Still, researchers say that they have found some similarities.
People who live to 100 and beyond tend to:
- Complain less about pain and discomfort than younger people with fewer disabilities, suggesting that centenarians are better at adapting to what life hands them.
- Remain intellectually stimulated
- Maintain satisfying social relationships
- keep their interests in creative activities
- Have few sleep problems
- Become anxious or depressed only rarely
- Find great solace in their religious faith
- Be financially secure
- Believe that they can be happy
- Be extroverted
No comments:
Post a Comment