As a generation, we are living for longer and surely this gives us more of an excuse to live life to the fullest.

Many people seem to think you can be too old for sport, or even exercise for that matter but Olga Kotelko from Canada is just another inspiring example to prove sport is for everyone and that age really is just a number.

At the age of 95, Olga became the oldest female indoor sprinter, high jumper, long jumper and triple jumper at the World Masters Athletics Championships. Although she has over 30 world records and has more than 750 gold medals, she describes herself as “just a plain Jane” and states that having the right attitude plays a huge part in life. She rightly believes that “age is just a number. It’s not your birthday, it’s how you age which makes the difference”. Olga only took up athletics at the age of 77, really showing that it’s never too late to start!

Although getting older is inevitable, declining as we age doesn’t have to be – Olga is a clear example of this. Leading a healthy lifestyle along with a good diet and plenty of exercise is key in ensuring we age well, as it seems that we can certainly influence the rate at which we age.

Take Japan for example, which has the highest proportion of elderly populations in the world. Their lifestyle, of eating a healthy diet with plenty of fish and vegetables and a focus on yoga and strength based exercises along with less smoking and drinking than in the Western world could be contributing to such a healthy aging population. Showing the importance of a healthy lifestyle, which many of us tend to neglect.

What we also need to remember here is that we can make positive lifestyle changes at any time in our lives to positively impact our health (not just when we are older). It’s becoming increasingly recognised that leading a healthier lifestyle when we are younger can be extremely beneficial in later life, so the earlier we start, the better!

Along with a good diet and regular exercise, there are a number of other ways we can look to improve our health, especially as we age. Spending time with friends and nurturing friendships in mid-life could have a huge impact on aging well. Research has suggested that this may be due reducing the likelihood of being isolated, where one study found people who were socially isolated to be less likely to survive over seven year period than those with a good social network. This could be due to friends noticing a decline in health, or promoting activity through socialising. However a more direct link between isolation and human biology is yet to be identified.

Having a positive mind set is also of more importance to our health than we first think! Research has found older individuals with positive views of aging to live longer than those with negative ones. In addition, another study found those who reported the most enjoyment out of life to live longer too, even when health and wealth were accounted for.

The information in this blog just further emphasises the fact that our health is in our own hands, in fact up to 75% of our later lives could be down to the lifestyle we choose to lead. By living an active and healthy lifestyle and changing the way we think about aging we can improve many aspects of our health and wellbeing as well as ensuring we age well too.  Food for deep thought!

Adie Blanchard – Researcher

Source

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-27207219