Question 

My 76-year-old mother seems overly worried about aging. I believe this is because she brings it up almost every time that I see her. 

She wonders what she can do to prevent her body from deteriorating like those around her have. She sees her friends and associates with hip fractures, cancer, and a variety of ailments that she does not have and fears getting. 

Right now, mom takes no medication, sees her doctor annually, and is in general good health. I do not want to falsely reassure her, and yet I want to support her in some way. 

What recommendations do you have for my mother to help her live her last chapter as well as she can. 

Answer 

Your mother is reacting to what she is surrounded with. When your friends are having health problems, it is natural for you to project a little bit and have concern for your own health. That what is on her mind creeps into your conversation is also to be expected. 

Being aware and concerned is the first step to making choices in your life that will make a difference. A little reflection is not a bad thing. 

If your mother is a person of action, she can take steps to protect the body that she has. Rather than worry about aging, she could use her accumulated wisdom to strengthen herself. 

I strongly believe that there are five important ways to get the most out of your body and influence your life span materially. They are: 

1. Movement 

All muscle groups need consistent use to remain strong. The emphasis being on 
the word all. Too often, we adults fall into a pattern of one simple exercise, and we feel like we have met the requirement. Just taking a walk each day is a frequent activity that is not quite enough. 

I recommend a varied exercise program that targets every muscle group on a rotating basis. She may need to do a little bit of searching and study to find just the program for her. It will pay off in the end if she is successful at strengthening every muscle. 

Why this is important is because as you age, your body naturally becomes less efficient. We also tend to be more sedentary. Muscles that are not used atrophy and when we need to use them in an emergency, our bodies fail us and make us prone to injury. Strengthening just one body group, by doing the same form of exercise every day, will give you false confidence, making you injury prone should you need to call upon muscles that rarely use and never strengthen. 

She will need to start out slowly. Maybe she starts with just five minutes a day. Over time she should increase time and add to her routine. She will notice a difference and feel greater confidence about movement in the process. 

2. Diet 

We all hear so much about what we eat being important and most of it is true. What you eat matters to your health and longevity. 

I recently heard a saying from a nutrition expert, saying “eat the rainbow”, and I think it is a marvelous concept. The more colorful the produce for the most part, the more vitamins. Think spinach and the dark green color. Now blueberries and the dark blue color. Walk the produce isle and pick the brightest and most saturated colors for your fruits and vegetables. 

When it comes to meat, eat sparingly to avoid fat. Think about salmon, nuts, beans, and other sources of protein. 

Sugar, fat, and salt are the three ingredients to avoid as much as possible. American diets are loaded with these three ingredients, and we have become quite accustomed to their excess. Try to eliminate them as much as possible. Stay away from processed food. 

Eat three meals a day, avoid snacking, and fast after dinner until breakfast. 

3. Rest 

Healthy people sleep and give their bodies time to rejuvenate. Numerous studies point to sleep as restorative at the cellular level. 

A routine bedtime and on average eight hours of sleep is necessary to strengthen mental functioning and the needed rest for your muscles. 

4. Socialization 

Contact with other human beings has been proven to be essential for health. Studies have shown that isolation is not healthy, and individuals without a social network are at greater risk and have shorter lifespans. 

Family, friends, social groups, are all important connections to make and keep for us even as we age when it may be harder to do so. The elderly tend to become isolated, so they need to work at staying connected as the years go by. 

5. Purpose 

Having tasks, projects, and/or meaningful work to do each day gives individuals and life meaning, I call it having a purpose. The luxury for a 70-year-old is that most individuals at that age are retired or semiretired and are able to do whatever will give them that sense of purpose in life. They can pick and choose for the most part. For some it will be a form of volunteer work, for others a part time job, for some a beloved hobby, and others writing that book they never had time to do when they were younger. 

It is hard to see your friends and associates in your age group decline. There is not too much your mother can do to prevent that reality. A focus on living each day to the fullest and taking care of her body and mind will help her live her final years fulfilled. It is what we all want, though it takes some effort to accomplish.