Living to 100 // Sensible diet, exercise help get you there

Live to be 105? Possibly. Play with your great-grandchildren?Very likely. Medical researchers are finding ways to slip the bondsof old age - and let future generations enjoy their lives as neverbefore.

People are living longer. The average life span today is 75,compared with 47 in 1900. In the next 10 years, the number of100-year-olds is expected to more than double, U.S. Census Bureaustatistics say.

About two-thirds of Americans want to live 100 years and believethey will enjoy life more as they get older, says Daniel Perry,executive director of the Alliance for Aging Research in Washington,D.C. "People seem to be taking responsibility for their own longevityto a large degree, and chances are they're going to get there," hesays.

The key to longevity is medical self-care, which experts believecan add 10 or more years to the average American's life span. Thepremise is simple. While genes play a role in determining how wellyou age, you "can significantly lower any risk by altering yourlifestyle in meaningful ways," explains Dr. Reuben Andres, directorof the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in Bethesda, Md.

"Dull as they may sound, ample exercise, good nutrition andhealthy habits are the keys to successful aging," says Andres."These things will slow the aging process better than any longevitypill."

In his book, Prime Time (Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.,1993), 77-year-old John Eichenlaub, M.D., says it's never too late,or too early, to benefit from self-care measures. Older people whostop smoking cigarettes return their risk of heart attack to averageafter only two years.

Weight training and exercise programs can reverse physicaldeclines associated with "normal" aging - loss of bone mass, musclestrength and organ reserve - and help to keep joints, ligaments andtendons flexible. Exercise also lowers blood pressure, boosts "good"cholesterol, or high-density lipoproteins, aids in weight control andkeeps the heart and lungs strong. As a result, active people have amuch lower risk of heart disease, stroke, adult-onset diabetes andosteoporosis.

"With the right exercise, you can look and feel as fit at 50 asyou did at 30," says James Rippe, M.D., cardiologist and director ofthe exercise physiology laboratory at the University of MassachusettsMedical School, Worcester.

Which forms of exercise are easiest to master and mostbeneficial in middle age and beyond? Experts suggest walking,swimming, jogging or running. A little tougher to learn, but worththe effort, are racquet sports, skating and weight-lifting.

Exercise provides an additional benefit. Sleep trouble has longbeen considered an inevitable part of aging, but a recent Gallupsurvey reveals that active retirees have fewer problems sleeping thantheir less active contemporaries. Other causes of sleep troubleinclude arthritis, depression, drugs, alcohol and caffeine.

One of the most tantalizing clues to longevity involves researchin nutrition. Scientists have isolated the phytochemicals ineveryday foods like garlic and broccoli that have anti-aging as wellas cancer-fighting properties.

Jeffrey Blumberg, at the Human Nutrition Center on Aging atTufts University in Medford, Mass., is one example. Blumberg isstudying antioxidants, which sop up rogue oxygen atoms (known as freeradicals) in the bloodstream that wreak havoc on cells and vitalorgans. His findings are related not to the stress of aging but toprevention of ailments such as asthma, diabetes, emphysema andcataracts.

Unfortunately, older people often find it hard to follow dietaryguidelines. "Ideally, a diet should provide all of the necessarynutrients such as calcium, zinc (and) selenium," says Blumberg. "Asupplement formulated at one or two times the recommended dailyallowance can be helpful."

A positive attitude is another important key to successfulaging. You can keep old age at bay with the "divide and conquer"technique, notes Eichenlaub. "Fight off (aging's) harmful effectsone at a time," says Eichenlaub. "If you feel, look and act youngeras the years go by, you'll have . . . effectively stretched yourprime."

There's no formula for being happy, but it helps to beenthusiastic. To stay mentally engaged, try taking adult-educationcourses, traveling or volunteering. "They provide more experiences,more energy and more mind power to your life," Eichenlaub says.

Studies show that mentally active people can stave off mostage-related declines in mental functioning. "Brain tissue is likemuscle tissue," adds Andres. "It needs to be exercised or it willlose some of its ability."

"People are interested not only in living longer, but in stayingproductive and making those years really golden," says Eichenlaub.He foresees a future where people can pursue a hobby or second careerinto their 80s.

Increasingly, experts believe that boosting the immune systemcan help fend off illness and disease. This doesn't mean you shouldbe taking megadoses of vitamins and minerals in the hope of"superpowering" your immunity beyond its normal capabilities,however. What you can do is try to remove the factors that keep ahealthy immune system from working at peak efficiency: undue stress,lack of sleep, not enough exercise and a nutritionally poor diet.

Life insurance statistics reveal that living alone is stressfuland may shorten one's life span. Statistics also indicate thatgender equality does not extend to longevity - yet. Men can expectto live to be 72 and women to an even riper age of 78. With ahealthy lifestyle, however, your "medical" age can be younger thanyour years.

The best way to enjoy a long, healthy life is to start makinghealth lifestyle changes now. For starters, quit smoking. It's themain cause of avoidable death in North America. Smoking plays amajor role not only in cancer, but also in heart disease andrespiratory problems such as chronic bronchitis.

While driving, wear your seat belt and turn down the stereo.Excessive noise can lead to hearing impairment. If you drink, do soin moderation. If you regularly use tranquilizers, stimulants orother drugs, consider seeing a professional counselor. Stayup-to-date on medical tests, have a working smoke detector in yourhome and minimize sun exposure to avoid skin cancer.

Lower your fat intake, and know how many calories you need basedon your level of physical activity. Being overweight stresses theheart, muscles and bones, which increases the likelihood of joint andback problems. Eat on a regular schedule, preferably three smallmeals, and avoid a heavy dinner.

"Use it or lose it" works as well for the brain as it does forthe rest of the body, since mental activity requires a certain levelof endorphins, which are produced by exercise. "It's anotherargument for getting and staying active," says Eichenlaub.