Rock-Stars-of-Aging-by-Marc-Middleton

Rocks Stars of Aging
30
HEALTH, FITNESS AND NUTRITION
16: Centenarians Exercise Regularly (But Not Too Hard)
“I always keep going. I don’t stop. You know, like some of these
ladies, they get old, and then they sit down, and then that’s it. Well
not me. No, not me.” -- Frances Shevenaugh (July 16 1901 - June 25
2010)
Not all centenarians are world champion masters athletes but very
few are couch potatoes. Most live surprisingly active lifestyles and
many lived vigorously active lifestyles in their 80s and 90s. When
asked to list the secrets to their longevity, nearly every centenarian
we have ever interviewed says, “I keep moving.”
One of the most important benefits of regular exercise is brain health.
While there is very little that can be done to treat dementia, exercise
can help avoid it entirely or at the very least, delay it.
We once interviewed Bill Hargrove, the world’s oldest active bowler,
at the alley, in between games -- when he was 106! He told Growing
Bolder that he still hit the lanes twice a week for league bowling, even
with failing eyesight and hearing. He had multiple compelling reasons
to stay at home but he didn’t. He kept moving.
What do centenarians do for exercise? A little bit of everything.
• 41 percent of centenarians walk or hike at least once a week
• 31 percent garden
• 6 percent practice Tai Chi or yoga
• 5 percent play basketball, tennis, baseball or soccer
The good news is that you don’t have to do much and you can do
whatever you enjoy but you need to do it on a regular basis. As the
actress Helen Hayes once said, "If you rest, you rust."
Rock Stars of Aging
30