Healthy longevity ahead

While many baby boomers, such as myself, feel like 35 year-olds encased in the body of a 60-year-old, the mere passage of time brings changes, challenges and – believe it or not – opportunities.

Today, when the average life span for a woman born in 2009 is 79 years and about 72 for men, even 40-somethings are considering how to prepare for active longer lives. It’s true that this may not happen if we don’t consciously look forward and adapt our behaviors accordingly. This might be particularly true for men who, as you see, statistically live shorter lives than women. It’s not that women are superior to men, (although I once believed that back in the 70s) but that we manage our health differently and “engage in less risky behaviors - such as lounging on the couch and watching sports, smoking, driving sans seat belts and other activities. There are also certain hormonal differences that contribute to a male’s shorter lifespan. But, consider that an American born in 1776 had a life expectancy of 36 years. We’ve come a long way. It’s common to hear that today’s 70 is yesterday’s 50, and with medical research revealing new secrets about aging, we might be able to prove that hypothesis.

Consider that, in 1950 there were 3,000 centenarians in the U.S. Today that number has risen to an estimated 55,000. By 2050, experts anticipate there will be 1 million centenarians. I’ll have to take that on faith because, realistically, I won’t be one of them.

Abundant resources are available to guide us through healthy and positive aging. Information, however, seldom comes knocking on our doors. It’s incumbent on each of us to search out opportunities to get the facts about nutrition, exercise, attitude and social networks that support healthy aging.

Taking personal responsibility for our journey into greater maturity creates new opportunities to exert control over our lives. We don’t have to become frail or depressed. We don’t need to feel unattractive or too old to enjoy activities. Research already shows that the stereotype of aging doesn’t stand up to reality. But, ultimately, it’s up to each of us to make the decision to join the new era of people consciously aging well.