I run a pain management practice in La Quinta California and most of my patients are over 60. The majority of them are in pain because they have been inactive all their lives. They are now suffering the ravages of arthritis and osteoporosis in addition to the heart disease, diabetes and hypertension all fed by their sedentary life. Most of our parents grew up in the 1940’s -1960’s. They enjoyed all the benefits of an industrializing prosperous country; there was no longer farm work to be done and we transitioned to sedentary jobs and a sedentary life. How many of your parents/grandparents ever went out for a night time stroll, let alone a 3 mile run? Not mine. The importance of exercise wasn’t even discussed back then. So, it is not surprising to me that the golden years for all of my elderly patients are far from golden. My 80 year old patients are walking now, but it’s probably too late for them. They didn’t know what we know now. And they are suffering dearly for it, as is the cost of health care to support them.

But you have a chance to grow old differently. Now we all know the importance of exercise. You may not do it, but if you don’t go for a daily walk or run at least you know enough to feel guilty about it. That’s a start, I figure. We know that exercise is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle to prevent and even fight diseases that include hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and even osteoporosis. And we are doing it. Not all of us, but at least the awareness is there.

Our big problem is weight loss. My book, GET MOVING! Live Better, Live Longer is full of tips to increase your activity throughout the day. Simple things like deep knee bends while waiting for the microwave or brushing your teeth standing on one leg will increase your calorie burning every day.

You are not guaranteed the same aging fate as your parents. Your lifestyle choices can overcome any set of genes you were born with. Exercise is your ticket to health and wellness. You know this. Couple it with weight loss and you will find that 25 year old body again. It’s in there. In addition, you’ll fight hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. Get up off the couch, push yourself away from the computer and grab your child’s hand. Go for that first walk together. It will be the walk of your lifetime.

Live Well

Ruth Anderson, MD MS

Tip #1: Shop around the perimeter of the grocery store. It is simple; do your grocery shopping around the perimeter of the grocery store. Avoid the isles in the middle of the store packed full of processed food and badness. Fill your shopping cart with foods in their natural state; like what you get in the produce section, the meat counter and the dairy section of the grocery store (but pick the lower fat dairy and meat selections, please).

Tip #2: Take baby steps. Make small changes in how you eat and over time you will reap huge rewards. And they will be changes that become a natural part of how you eat and how you live. One Example: Switch from whole milk to 2% and eventually to skim milk. Whole milk is 4% fat by weight but fat floats – it’s a marketing gimmick. You can cut the calories from 150 to 90 in every glass with the switch to skim milk.

Tip #3: Stop eating so much. What else do I need to say?

Tip #4: Eat off of smaller plates. Over the last 20 years the standard dinner plate size at restaurants has increased from 9” to 13”. No wonder we are getting fatter; we’re eating 30% more food and don’t even know it. So…. who says size doesn’t matter?

Tip #5: Record what you eat each day. This ties back to the last 2 recommendations. You’ll be surprised at how much you really do eat. And then you’ll be surprised how much more energy you have when your digestive isn’t trying to process all that fatty food.

Tip #6: Eat at home. Restaurant food is notorious for hidden calories and fat. Eating out on a regular basis is kiss of death for your waistline. So save your hard earned cash for that new wardrobe you’re going to need after you drop that 20 lbs.

Tip #7: Set an example for your children. The obesity epidemic in our kids is scary. And now recent studies are documenting an increase in high blood pressure and diabetes in our kids. Yet over 80% of parents of fat kids don’t think their child has a weight problem. Look at your kids, set an example. Health and wellness starts at home.

Tip #8: Weigh yourself every day. No it won’t make you crazy, it will help you keep on track.

Tip #9: Focus on the positive. You can avoid weight loss failure with this one simple rule. If you spend your day obsessing about the muffin you ate instead of the positive choice you made at lunch to have a salad with the dressing on the side, you will fail. You will give up simply because your focus was wrong. Who cares if you slip up. Promise you’ll do better next time and get back on the wagon. It’s what smokers do, it’s what anyone does who is trying to make a change. You can do it. You will do it; because, you’re taking it one step at a time.

Tip #10 and my favorite: Everything in moderation including moderation. Enjoy the foods you love but in smaller portions and less frequently as a reward. No one ever got thin or healthy on a life of deprivation.

Tip #11. Don’t Eat So Much. And yes, I will say it over and over and over again. You know the only thing that has ever been shown to increase longevity is a caloric restricted diet. Not eating as much. Nothing else will increase life span. We on the other hand are eating ourselves into the grave.

Live Well, Eat Well

New research presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference July 2010 shows without doubt that exercise improves your health and wellness into your 80’s by preventing the development of dementia. Get Moving is now the key to prevent heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and now dementia. Your health and wellness is in your hands and is determined by the lifestyle choices you make every day. Again, your lifestyle choices are more powerful than any pill your doctor could prescribe.

Researchers tracked more than 12,000 elderly people over 20 years. They found that participants who made moderate to intense exercise part of their life had a 40% less chance of developing any type of dementia or brain decline. They also found that the less active you are the more likely you are to develop dementia. The elderly who didn’t exercise on a regular basis were 45% more likely to get dementia than their exercising peers.

This study came out of Framingham MA and is part of the epidemiologic study that has followed people in the town since 1948 for heart disease and cognitive health. This is the largest and longest study of its kind – very impressive and you need to pay attention to the researchers’ conclusions.

We know that even 80 year olds who start and exercise program for the first time will see increased strength, muscle mass and heart health. And now there is evidence that exercise into your 80’s will prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease (or Old Timers disease as my patients call it) – a decline we all fear.

So remember, you have the power to control how you live, how you die and how well you remember the trip. Your brain needs regular exercise as much as your heart. You can prevent heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and osteoporosis, and limit the pain of arthritis with the right exercise program. My book, GET MOVING! Live Better, Live Longer outlines programs designed specifically to fight these killers. And now you know as you take charge of your health and wellness that you will be able to remember the wonderful life you have created. So, get up off the couch and GET MOVING! for your heart and for your head.