 LIFESTYLE


of place when we move, and perhaps overestimate contact with family.”


He also cautions against waiting for retirement to arrive


before finding activities that can fill the time once dedicated to work. “It is a really useful — and often neglected — part of planning for retirement to develop and begin being active in things that you enjoy, that you can continue after leaving work,” he says. Those activities, he said, should include things that get you up and moving. “Physical exercise and maintaining a healthy weight are two of the most broadly effective things one can do to maintain physical and mental health and well-being into the later years of life,” says Dr. Knight.


A Change for the Better Even if your lifestyle has been sedentary or unhealthy, research shows that it’s not too late to reap the rewards of positive changes as you head into your older adult years. A Johns Hopkins-led multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis, which


8 | MATTERS OF HEALTH


tracked more than 6,000 people ages 45 to 84 for more than seven years, showed that those who quit smoking, got regular exercise, maintained a healthy weight and followed a Mediter- ranean-style diet (including fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, olive oil and seafood) decreased their risk of death by 80 percent. If you smoke, quitting is particularly important to maintaining good health. Studies show that the risk of having a heart attack drops almost immediately (within 24 hours) after quitting, and that quitting during middle age can cut the risk of premature death nearly in half.


Staying Sharp Finally, the researchers at Hopkins note that not only can you teach an old dog new tricks, it may be the best thing you can do for him. Taking on new challenges, such as learning a new language or even picking up the crossword puzzle, is a great way to stay sharp and maintain good brain health — as well as keeping boredom at bay.


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