your health In Your 60s and Beyond
“One of the nice things about turning 60 is that you escape most of the genetic grief that your parents gave you,” says William Hall, M.D., Director, Center for Healthy Aging at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and co-author of Taking Charge of Your Health: A Guide to Getting the Best Health Care as You Age. If you’re going to inherit a killer disease from your parents, it usually appears at a younger age. So how well you fare in your golden years is much more about how you take care of yourself and what kind of responsibility you take for your own health. According to John R. Burton, M.D., Director, Johns Hopkins Geriatric Education Center and co-author of Taking Charge of Your Health, aging should not be a woe-is-me experience.
“One should look forward to their senior years, and do all the things he or she can to control chronic disease, and stay active and vital,” he says.
YOUR HEALTHIEST LIFE PRESCRIPTIONS
Protect against frailty. “Losing muscle mass and strength is more a reflection of inactivity than getting older,” says Hall. “The real thing that is going to slow people
down is not getting enough exercise.” Gardening, walking, vacuuming the house and climbing stairs all count. If you can’t do the full 30 minutes of recommended daily exercise at once, break it into three 10-minute increments throughout the day.
Get the best care. “There’s a tendency in people over 60 to have quite a bit of deference for their physician, and to cut them a lot of slack,” says Hall. “The most
important thing is for patients to understand that they are paying for service.” With that, Burton suggests coming prepared, as you would when visiting a lawyer or financial advisor. Always walk into the doctor’s office with a list. “That way, you’re more organized. You won’t be intimidated by the situation, and you’ll get the doctor’s attention.”
Fall forward. According to Hall, everyone falls—and those who say they don’t are lying. But at this age, falls are serious. One in four people, ages 50 and older,
who fracture a hip, will die within a year of their injury. Hall recommends: Learn how to fall forward. A broken wrist or arm is much less dangerous than a broken hip.
Take a multi. “Don’t overdo it on supplements,” warns Hall. Women over 60 should take a
multivitamin, plus 1,200 mg of calcium and 400–600 IU of vitamin D.
Do the tango. There is a huge correlation between staying socially active and staying healthy. “The best thing people can do is take tango
lessons. It’s wonderful exercise. It’s social and it’s fun,” says Hall. Plus, you’re learning something new, which may help keep the mind sharp.
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FALL 2010 | HEALTHY ADVICE 31
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