GRACEFULLY

Today the average duration of human life in the United States is

just about ! years for "omen and a little less for men# Conservative
e$%erts believe that man is really build to last about &!! years' and
that medial advan(es and more healthful living habits (ould bring this
about "ithin a generation or t"o#
)hat good is it to add years to life if "e do not also add life to
years* +n fa(t, unless %eo%le learn to enjoy life and to gro" old
gra(efully, the e$tra years may be an additional burden#
From &- to .! years is roughly the %eriod of highest %hysi(al and
mental vigor# The e$%erien(es "e a((umulate from the day "e are born
hel% us to (onserve and to use our %hysi(al and mental abilities more
"isely, so that for some time after .! years "e are able to %erform
in(reasingly "ell in s%ite of slo"ly sli%%ing vigor# After age /! the
in(reasing a((umulation of e$%erien(e is no longer able to offset the
no" more ra%idly energy and therefore aging begins to assert itself
noti(eably and in many "ays#
A number of things may (ome about gradually su(h as %eo%le "ho
have not used eyeglasses before may at some time in their forties need
them for reading, and in the fifties they usually need bifo(als#
Also in the forties, %eo%le are li0ely to %ut on "eight be(ause
there is a general slo"do"n in the o$idation rate of the aging body
tissue# Also "e tend to do less strenuous "or0 "ith no redu(tion in the
amount of food (onsumed#
And in the fifties there is li0ely to be some loss of hearing#
Usually the high1%it(hed tomes go first, so "ords "ith the sounds of F,
S, and T2 are (onfused# A hearing aid may be needed in some (ases#
Aging is generally a((om%anied by a loss in %hysi(al and mental
fle$ibility# This is noti(ed in a tenden(y to be(ome stiff in the
joints' in slo"er (omeba(0 after a strenuous tri%, e$(essive 3night
life,3 or hard "or0' in slo"er healing of "ounds, sore mus(les, and
s%rains' in slo"er re(overy of %e% after an illness' and in greater
diffi(ulty to adjust to ne" %eo%le, ne" %la(es, and ne" ideas#
4en, es%e(ially, "ill noti(e loss of mus(ular strength# There
"ill be in(reased unsteadiness and deli(ate mus(le movements "ill be
more (lumsy and the stride in "a0ing "ill be(ome shorter# The
(on(lusion no" is that the %erforman(e and ability of the elderly has
long been underestimated and (an be greatly im%roved by a %ro%er diet,
slee% and e$er(ise along "ith rest and rela$ation#
4any elderly %eo%le tend to lose their joy and "ill to live and
(hroni( "orriers may mo%e around and "ithdra"# 4edi(al authorities no"
say that laughter is one of the best medi(ines for the elderly# You (an
al"ays 0ee% your sense of humor tuned u% by surrounding yourself "ith
%leasant and interesting %eo%le# 5ust a(t your age and don6t be afraid
to laugh at yourself even "hen no else is around#
7o" that "e all 0no" the role that %hysi(al a(tivity %lays in our
lives, remember to do something %hysi(al every day# The joints must be
used or 8uite sim%ly they "ill tighten "ith age (reating that stoo%ed
"orn out a%%earan(e "e so often asso(iate "ith getting old# 9ee%
yourself fle$ible and fit on an e$er(ise %rogram (onsistent "ith your
ability#ration or t"o#
)hat good is it to add years to life#