It's never too late
If you're a couch potato, take heart! It's never too late to begin living an active, healthy lifestyle. Research shows that people who were active in their 70s are more likely to live into their 90s. In the study, men who didn't smoke, had normal blood pressure, maintained a healthy weight, didn't have diabetes, and exercised two-four times a week had a 54% chance of living to their 90s. A sedentary lifestyle reduced their chance of living to their 90s to 44%. In a complimentary study, over 700 people age 97 or older were studied. The study found that whether people developed certain diseases (such as high blood pressure) early or later in life didn't really matter. What made a bigger difference in their lifespan was how effectively they managed their conditions and how healthy of a lifestyle they lived.
Even if you haven't chosen to live an active, healthy lifestyle it's never too late to start. Avoiding health issues you don't have and managing any conditions you do have is the way to live a long and healthy life.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-31-2008 @ 4:46PM
ddeeitsme said...
Thanks, Maggie. That is great news, especially for those of us on the not-so-sunny side of our latest decade.
Did the study say whether the effects of having high blood pressure can be lessene even in your 90's? That's hard to believe--it almost sounds like its never, ever too late.
By the way, I recently read a story about a 120 year old woman who stays young (or at least feeling young) by drinking a glass of olive oil each day. Here is the link http://www.collectivewizdom.com/OliveOil-DrinkandLiveLonger
Too much oil for me but I might have to try a little sip every now and then!
Reply
3-31-2008 @ 4:49PM
Maggie Vink said...
It doesn't say that it can be necessarily lessened in your 90s -- what it does say is that if you get diagnosed with blood pressure when you're younger or older it doesn't seem to have an effect on life span. What does effect your life span is how well you manage conditions and how healthy of a lifestyle you live.
Even if you've never exercised in your life, you can still improve your quality of life and potentially lengthen your life by becoming active. As always, check with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
You're much more committed than I, though. I don't think I could swallow olive oil if my life depended on it. Cook with it, yes. Drink it? No way.