Lifestyle Changes Can Add Healthy Years Even Late in Life
It is never too late to live longer and be more capable
I am 82 years old. Does it matter anymore if I exercise and eat well? Yes, science tells us that good habits can help most people of any age be healthier and live quite a bit longer. According to the averages, I can substantially increase the 8.6 more years of life that the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates an 80-year-old male will live.
Most residents in our retirement community assume it is too late for lifestyle modifications to make a difference. They tell me that there is little to be gained now with lifestyle modifications. Instead, people think, “It is too late,” or “It is time for me to enjoy my retirement and do as I please,” or “I can eat whatever I like” because “It won’t make any difference now.”
People who never ate dessert but on holidays and birthdays now eat dessert in restaurants every night. Turkey on white bread with gravy and mashed potatoes are “comfort foods,” as is meatloaf with macaroni and cheese. Vegetables are decidedly secondary (and called “sides” on the menus), and fruit is uncommonly ordered, partly because it must compete with sugary desserts.
We have a well-equipped fitness center with four excellent personal trainers, many classes…
