Rock-Stars-of-Aging-by-Marc-Middleton
Rock-Stars-of-Aging-by-Marc-Middleton
Rock-Stars-of-Aging-by-Marc-Middleton
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<strong>Rock</strong>s <strong>Stars</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Aging</strong><br />
41<br />
HEALTH, FITNESS AND NUTRITION<br />
27: Centenarians Stretch and Get Regular Massages<br />
“I wake up in the morning, I do a little stretching exercises, pick up the<br />
horn and play.” -- Herb Alpert, 76-year-old musician<br />
This doesn’t mean that centenarians have lifetime memberships to a<br />
spa. There are many different kinds <strong>of</strong> massage, including something<br />
as simple as a regular shower. Almost any type <strong>of</strong> massage has great<br />
health benefits. Regular massage is not only good for your muscles,<br />
countless studies have shown that it boosts immunity, relieves stress,<br />
reduces anxiety and depression and lowers your heart rate and blood<br />
pressure.<br />
Flexibility is strength. Surprisingly, flexibility is something that can<br />
actually improve with age and help reduce the effects <strong>of</strong> age.<br />
Stretching even 20 minutes a day can make a huge impact. When we<br />
interviewed 96-year-old ballet dancer Fredric Franklin, he told us<br />
there is no secret to improving your fitness or flexibility: “It’s just a<br />
matter <strong>of</strong> will power and I still have quite a lot <strong>of</strong> it.”<br />
<strong>Rock</strong> <strong>Stars</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Aging</strong><br />
41
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