That's Fit

You suddenly cannot recall your phone number. You find the phone in the fridge. Your new sandals are sitting in your kids' shoe tree. You're starting to Google the key phrases "early dementia" and "early Alzheimer's."

It's a frightening concept, losing your marbles. Many Boomers have faithfully been married to physical fitness for years, but as they gray around the temples they're starting to worry their noggin' may someday ask for a divorce. According to a recent study of older Boomers (born 1946-1955), a growing number believe in the plasticity of the brain -- calisthenics for the mind, if you will.

Beyond $1,000 genetic tests to examine risk factors such as Alzheimer's by 23andMe and deCODE genetics, there are also brain health products such as Posit Science's $395 computer cognitive exercises, MindFit's $149 assessment/personalized cognitive training software and Nintendo's $19.99 Brain Age 2 video game offering math/memory exercises. As I reported earlier, brain fitness is a young industry poised for big growth.

I can see it now, Boomers Aerobics where the instructor shouts cognitive training directives from the podium. How about a Cardio/Cranium Theatre challenging your memory from the big screen? Don't forget the monthly brain massage.

Americans are worried about a lot of things as they age -- weight gain and back pain, to name two -- but they aren't worried about losing their vision. That's not good, according to eye health experts, because some eye diseases don't have a lot of symptoms. February is Save Your Vision Month and the American Academy of Ophthalmology wants you to celebrate by getting a baseline exam if you are over 40. Even if you're under 40, you should talk to your ophthalmologist if you're at high risk for eye disease or if you're suffering vision loss or symptoms.

Age-related eye disease will increase as baby boomers age, so if you know someone who should be seeing an eye doctor, give them a little nudge.

The 'baby boomer' population may be getting older but they certainly aren't letting it slow them down. In fact, statistics show that boomers are more active than other age groups, joining the gym in record numbers and being assertive with trying new forms of fitness like yoga and boxing. The YMCA has really been catering to the 78 million member boomer crowd too, creating programs and classes that focus less on muscles and physical appearance and more on health and quality of life (something we should all do!).

But as motivated and ambitious as the boomers are, they do have their own set of unique needs and wants. Safety is the biggest issue, as injuries can not only sideline current health efforts but can put a serious kink in the plan for months or even years into the future. Here are some good things tailored just for the boomers out there:

Does it sometimes seem like the fitness industry is geared towards peppy twenty-somethings with boundless energy and enviable waistlines? Well, we're heading into a time when today's baby boomers will be retiring and starting to focus on their health, and I imagine the face of fitness will be changing too. In fact, I think it already is -- there are dozens of fitness programs, websites and DVD devoted solely to working out after 50. Like this one. And these. And these.

If you're a baby boomer who's thinking of starting or re-starting a workout routine, keep these tips in mind:

• Stretch, to prevent injury and soreness.
  
• Workout a bit every day -- don't try to compress everything into the weekend
• Listen to your body -- stop when it's time to
• Take lessons to ensure you do it right.

Want to know more? Click here.

Anorexia is generally thought of as a teenager's and young person's disease, but more and more middle-aged and older adults are being diagnosed and treated for the disease every day. Increasingly women in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and even older are seeking treatment for anorexia and have often been dealing with the disorder for years. The reasons behind this sudden increase in older patients could be due to a variety of causes, including increased public awareness, increased pressure on women to be thinner, and aging baby boomers who may have been living with the disease since they were younger.

As the large population of Baby Boomers grows older, and as all ages of Americans become more interested in exercise and activity, a new challenge is being created for fitness companies to create equipment that will not only work for the previously common "average" customer, but for newly growing "aging" group as well.

Recently companies from all over convened in Las Vegas to show off what they've done to make fitness machines not only challenging and effective, but also sensitive to older users and adjustable for things like achy joints. There are all kinds of new ideas out there, click here to see a few examples of what the Vegas trade show had to offer.

As the baby boomer population gets older in the next 10 years (and beyond), the amount of that population will increase the nation's disabled population, according to a new study.

Does the U.S. need a better system to keep good care coming their way? According to this newer study, a new system will indeed be needed. More than 40 million Americans currently have some sort of disability -- and that figure will rise rapidly (it is expected).

So, not only do we have reductions in physical activity and increases in obesity (and diabetes) in younger generations, but aging generations may balloon the disability population. U.S. health care may be in for greater levels of shock soon, yes?

Though this survey was small and unscientific, I think it still revealed some interesting information. When 8,000 members of a UK fitness chain were surveyed about their health, lifestyle, and quality of life, baby boomer's came out on top. According to responses from those over 50, they're exercising more than their younger peers, paying more attention to their diet, avoiding alcohol and additives in foods, and creating a solid work/home balance in their lives.

In general, baby boomers live longer than their parents or grandparents did, but experts are now warning that the newest generation may be the first to actually have a shorter life expectancy than their parents, due to poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. This survey seems to acknowledge that trend, and the youngest age group (age 18-29) reported a lower commitment to health.

So then, are baby boomers really healthier than the rest of us? Not according to statistics on obesity. By the looks of those numbers, a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle are something that every generation is dealing with on some level. So whether your young or simply young at heart, it's never too late to tweak that healthy lifestyle for the better!

Millions of people, 5 million+ people according to recent estimates, are living with Alzheimer's right now. That's a ten percent increase in the last five years, and with Alzheimer's being an age related disease those numbers are only projected to go higher and higher as the baby boomer population hits retirement age. Some are even using the word epidemic to describe the fact that by the year 2030 experts predict almost 8 million people will have the diagnosis.

Lay the blame on unbalanced technology -- we're keeping people alive longer by treating things like heart disease and cancer more effectively, only to be helpless when they come down with a diagnosis like Alzheimer's a few years later.

Oh, the irony.

If we think we're spending quite a bit on health care now, imagine that some estimates have health care spending doubling within 10 years from now. In other words, we'll be spending $4.1 trillion by 2017 on annual health care instead of the current $2.1 trillion we're spending now -- and that's just in the U.S.

It's shocking to see that nearly 20 cents of every dollar spent in 10 years will go toward health care. Of course, many will ask what the causes are. One of the biggies is an aging population, as the "leading edge of the baby boom generation becomes eligible for Medicare."

With the baby boomer generation at staggering levels (70 million+), it's easy to see why we'll be spending so much more on health care in 10 years. Add that to the fact that people are living longer (as what's been widely reported), and there are your spending increases.

Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School have crunched the numbers, and the results are in: baby boomers are substantially more obese than the generations before them. Experts say that boomers seem to share many of the same habits and traits when it comes to managing their health. For example, according to surveys many baby boomers blame genetics for high blood pressure, think it's already too late to do anything to improve their health, and are even overly optimistic about their health at times.

Doctors stress that it's never too late to start taking care of yourself and improving your health, especially since they often hear boomers say they wish they'd taken better care of themselves when they were younger. One expert suggests choosing one "issue" at a time, and focusing on that before moving on to the next thing.

Fitness catering to the baby boomer population is ... well ... booming, as more middle-age folk are realizing the importance of their health and feeling the need to keep their body going as aging tries to slow them down. One chain, aptly called "Boomer Fitness", specifically offers service and products to baby boomers in the Bay area. One thing that sets them apart is requesting a doctors note before the beginning of any fitness regime -- this allows personal trainers to work around limitations, preventing injuries.

If you'd like to find out more about Boomer Fitness, click here.

According to recent news, America's definition of old age is changing. With 78 million adventurous and independent Baby Boomers now reaching 60, this age -- once considered nearing retirement -- marks a new beginning, not the beginning of the end.

It's not just a state of mind; there are also medical reasons for it. Preventive medicine, advances in drug development (including sex-enhancing drugs like Viagria and Levitra) and innovative medical technologies are literally turning 60 into the new 45. The proof is in the numbers. The world's oldest man -- Puerto Rican Emiliano Mercado del Toro -- turned 115 last week. And Maria Esther de Capovilla of Ecuador, the oldest woman, died this past Monday at 116.

On some days, I view the opportunity to live longer as great news (my healthy habits now will pay off later!). Other days, when I feel every bit my 30-ahem-something age and I can't imagine working another 35+ years, that good news? Yeah, I'm thinking not so much.