Eat Well, Exercise, Sleep Well, Enjoy Life!

"My secret of life is to wake up every morning with something to do."
"Some people I feel are old because they allow themselves to get old. When people ask me how I'm able to do what I can do, I say I never did quit trying."
Warren Berger, 95, Chattanooga, Tennessee, national high-jump record, 94 - 99 age bracket

"Individuals in favourable cardiovascular health at younger ages not only live a longer life, but live a healthier life and a greater proportion of life free of morbidity."
Chicago-based study

"My research looks at why no one wants to be old. They want to set themselves apart from this negatively viewed age group. They just want to distance themselves from stereotypes; 'I'm not like the stereotype. I'm different'."
"Adults who believe age is just a umber showed better memory performance, but adults who believed aging is set in stone and fixed had a decrease in memory performance and a stronger stress reaction."
Dr. David Weiss, assistant professor, sociomedical sciences, psychology, Columbia Ageing Center, Columbia University, New York

"One of the most unique and novel aspects of this study [published last year in the Journal of Applied Physiology]. is the exceptional participants."
"These are individuals in their 80s and 90s who actively compete in world masters track and field championships. We have seven world champions. These individuals are the crème de la crème of aging."
"Therefore, identifying opportunities to intervene and delay the loss of [nerve and muscle fibres] motor units in old age [through exercise] is of critical importance."
"Exercise is definitely an important contributor to functional performance. Staying active, even later in life, can help reduce muscle loss."
Dr.  Geoffrey A. Power, professor, Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Guelph

Glenn Bradd, who will turn 87 later this month, shows his six-pack after working out at the Bloomington-Normal YMCA. (The Pantagraph/Steve Smedley) 

Setting the stage at an early age when most people barely think of themselves into an elderly future is like paying a monthly insurance fee. Anyone who looks ahead to consider what their health might be like, how long they may live and how much quality their lives might hold, should consider how best to be healthy while they're young. The American Heart Association has created a formula, the contents of which will not be new to anyone. The guide of seven issues that all add up to healthful living is simple enough. 

1. Manage blood pressure because when it stays within a healthy range the strain on heart, arteries and kidneys is reduced.
2. Control cholesterol because high cholesterol contributes to clogging your arteries with plaque buildup, in turn leading to heart disease and stroke.
3. Reduce blood pressure since over time high levels of blood sugar may damage heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.
4. Get active for, as anyone knows, daily physical activity is an assist in managing blood pressure, blood sugar and stress, increasing quality of life and longevity.
5. Eat better because following a heart healthy diet improves opportunities for feeling and staying healthy throughout your life.
6. Lose weight because when you lose extra fat and unnecessary pounds you also reduce the burden on heart, lungs, blood vessels and skeleton.
7. Stop smoking for the simple and unalterable reason that smokers are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (and lung cancer). 

According to Statistics Canada, one in four Canadians will be over 65 years of age by the year 2031. The Life's Simple 7 guidelines represent the seven lifestyle habits meant to keep your heart healthy and to reduce the risk of other types of chronic illness -- and for the present and the future, the requirement for both short- and long-term medical care and hospital stays.

Heart disease, according to the Heart Research Institute, burdens the Canadian economy to the tune of $20.9-billion annually and with 33,600 lives lost yearly by heart disease, represents Canada's number one killer. A recently published study based in Chicago examined the medical history of 25,804 men and women following them from middle age until age 54 to determine whether longer life came with good health.

The study concluded the risk of ignoring the Simple 7 recommendations in early adulthood and middle age  has its consequences up to 43 years on by earlier onsets of chronic disease on an average of four to five years, compared to people who had recognized the value of living a heart-healthy lifestyle. These same people benefited as well with a life of 3.9 years longer duration than those who paid no attention to two or more of the Simple 7 points.

Ditching a sedentary lifestyle for exercise such as just moving oneself about, going out for walks, swimming, or hiking, bicycling, attending fitness classes, all have a place in a healthy lifestyle, just as a diet emphasizing whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and fewer processed food choices all help to control cholesterol, blood sugar in balance, and keep excess weight gains at bay.

Still from video -- Today

Carl Reiner, 95 year old writer, comedian, director, creator of the 1960s hit sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show and 91-year-old Mel Brooks enjoy a close relationship based on their show business backgrounds. Reiner's 22nd book -- Too Busy to Die -- recently published, represents one of five books he has had published since turning age 90 and he is planning two additional books.

Advice sex therapist, 89-year-old Ruth Westheimer is busy, out of the house six nights a week visiting with friends and family, and serving on several boards. Her advice? "Do as many things that are enjoyable ... as possible -- participating in activities at a senior centre, going to the theatre and movies and not just sitting home and saying, 'I'm too old to be out there'." And, she says: "I'm very busy. I'm teaching at Columbia. I'm coming out in 2018 with three new books." Beat that.