LONGEVITY

One key to longevity, to what it takes to live well beyond normal life expectancy is your lifestyle. Observations of healthy older individuals, ( aged 75 years and older ) provide intriguing insights into the personality traits and living habits associated with long-term survival,

The following characteristics are associated with longevity.

MODERATION: Moderation is a common denominator in all phases of life, including diet, vices, work and physical activity. Long term survival in a footrace or in the human race depends on pacing.

FLEXABILITY: Psychological flexibility implies the ability to bend but not to break, to accept change and avoid rigid habits.

CHALLENGE: Accept challenges. Create them if necessary, don’t allow life to become to easy. But when a challenge becomes to great, say so and seek an alternative.

HEALTH HABITS: Long-term survival is characterised by a relaxed attitude towards health. Elderly "survivors " are rather unconcerned about their health. They eat a wide variety of foods, do not seek out organic or other fad foods, and are not terribly concerned about avoiding items such as cholesterol. They are moderate in their use of alcohol, and some even smoke now and then.

RELATIONSHIPS: Seasoned citizens enjoy other people, they maintain an interest in and continuous contact with family and friends. They enjoy their marriages.

OUTLOOK: Healthy elders maintain a positive outlook. They recognise the effects of advancing age and plan to enjoy each phase of life. They realise, and accept, that long life means growing old, and they are prepared to enjoy the journey.

ACTIVE LIFE: Of course, those who age successfully are engaged in daily routines that require activity. They find reasons to be socially and physically active. Involvement in daily chores provides the purpose, rhythm and activity everyone needs.

The active life can benefit you in a number of ways, including

1. Health: Both physical and mental health are enhanced with regular exercise.
2. Mobility: Regular aerobic activity, supplemented with resistance exercises, retains or restores mobility.
3. Adaptability: The active individual retains the ability to adapt to changes in life.
4. Survival: Seniors are survivors. Along the way they accumulate wisdom and insights that have value to coming generations. The axiom in nature applies to the human race as well: The fittest survive.

Active individuals view each moment as one to be lived. They avoid people who depress them. When they feel moody they do something about it. They take risks, engage in life and enjoy it. They don’t waste the present with moods or worry about the future. Depression, worry and anger can lead to subtle changes in brain chemistry and hormone levels. Physical activity can have a direct effect on the moods and the chemistry of behaviour, it can also divert the attention and provide enjoyment and a sense of self-satisfaction that minimises or eliminates self-defeating behaviour.

You are free to think and act as you choose. You can create the life, which you desire, if you really want to. Don’t fall back on the old excuses such as,

• Ill start next month ( week, year ).
• I’m too old for that carry on.
• I’m too busy right now, but when the kids are a little older………

SUMMARY

We are all concerned that we save and invest well enough during our working years to insure financial security in retirement. But fiscal fitness is only part of the story. In order to ensure a vigorous and independent retirement, you need to invest in physical fitness as well. In personal finance, the sooner you start to invest the better, in order to enjoy the fruits of compound interest. The same is true with fitness. Maximum gains are achieved with an early start. The best time to begin the active life is when you are young, the second best time to begin is NOW.