The groups of silver-haired folks walking laps around the Providence Place mall before the stores open each morning must know that regular physical exercise and social interaction are key to longevity.
The risk of disease and disability increases with age, but poor health is not inevitable. Illness, disability, and even death, associated with chronic disease can be avoided through a recipe of healthy habits, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.
Early detection practices like mammograms for breast cancer, PAP smears for cervical cancer, and colonoscopies for colorectal cancer, as well as vigilance to diagnose and treat diabetes and depression, are proactive ways to avoid the serious consequences of the diseases, the CDC reports.
The R.I. Department of Health suggests a regimen of regular physical and mental activity, and social interaction.
“Doing low-impact things like walking and swimming are good physical exercises. Good mental/social activities are reading, playing cards with friends, word or number puzzles, book clubs,” said Department of Health spokesperson Andrea Bagnall-Degos.
Fifty-seven year old Geri Givani — who said she doesn’t feel her years — practices regular exercise and leads others to do the same. She teaches a class at Work Out World (WOW!) in Warwick every Friday afternoon, called Forever Young, for people over 50 who want to be active. She instructs using light weights to help build bone density, low-impact aerobics for cardio health, and a set of stretches that increase flexibility.
“I work out all the time – it is my medicine,” Givani said. “For myself, I know I have to do it – I do weights, abs, some Pilates, everything – because I know the benefits. Being in shape makes you feel 10 to 15 years younger.”
Since becoming a certified aerobics instructor in 1996, Givani said she has noticed more and more older adults committing to a healthy lifestyle.
“There is so much information out there, studies, that people today know the benefits of working out,” Givani said. “It is the fountain of youth.”
State agencies like the R.I. Department of Elderly Affairs (DEA) promote healthy living to Rhode Island’s aging adults through programs like the “Aging Well” partnership with the Administration on Aging. The program is devoted to helping older Rhode Islanders eat well, stay active, stop smoking and develop a healthier, more productive lifestyle. The “Aging Well” initiative is carried out with senior centers and other community agencies in the state, said Larry Grimaldi, chief of information for the DEA.
The DEA is also a partner in the Healthy Weight in 2008 program introduced by Gov. Donald L. Carcieri on Jan. 30 to promote the health and well being of Rhode Islanders.
Some healthy behaviors to improve quality of life suggested by the AARP include:
• Quit smoking. It decreases your risk of some cancers, heart attack and lung disease, and betters blood circulation.
• Limit alcohol. It can increase the risk for developing various diseases and physiological and social problems. If you do drink, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests no more than one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men.
• Eat well. Healthy food is the fuel the body needs to stay active and function at its best. Look for foods that provide nutrients to build and repair itself, like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats.
• Be active for at least 30 minutes each day with moderate activity. In addition to weight control, regular exercise increases energy, reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, relieves stress, and improves the immune system. It also can relieve arthritis, as well as strengthen bones and muscles, which can help prevent falls and bone loss, lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and colon cancer, and ultimately reduce the need for medication and doctors’ visits.
Well-marketed health practices like those from the AARP – and their adoption by many Americans – are perhaps why the United States is experiencing a longevity revolution. By 2030, the number of Americans age 65 and older will have more than doubled to 70 million, or one in every five Americans, the CDC reports.
Rhode Island has 149,775 residents age 65 and older, accounting for 13.9 percent of the population and ranking eighth in the nation in this category, the DEA reports. •
More resources are available
at www.cdc.gov/aging and www.aarp.org.
