Active aging for a stronger future

Enjoy a longer and more vibrant life

Society has always obsessed over living longer. We’ve dreamed up fanciful ways to achieve that, from comic books’ superhero potions to Star Trek’s cryonics. But dream no more: Canadian life expectancy is currently at historic highs. Now that we know we’re living longer, how can we live better and healthier? Active aging holds the answer.

Active aging: the missing wellness link for older Canadians

What comes to mind when you imagine your older self?

“A lot of the negativity we associate with aging— weight gain, loss of mobility and independence, and chronic diseases, like diabetes and heart disease—are not actually due to aging,” says Emily Johnson, founder of a seniors’ fitness education program. “Inactivity is the real culprit. Aging doesn’t equal chronic disease. Inactivity equals chronic disease.”

And there lies the rub. Older Canadians need 150 minutes of physical activity a week, but only 19 percent of those aged 50 to 64 hit those targets. The number drops to 15 percent in the 65- to 79-year-old bracket.

“Exercise continues to be the best way to stay physically and intellectually healthy as we age, yet the older we get, the less we seem to be doing it,” says Johnson.

She thinks it’s because of social conditioning. “As we move [through] adulthood and into our senior years ... seniors are encouraged to ‘take it easy,’” says Johnson.

It’s time to rewrite that story.

Active Aging Is Better Aging

“We live longer now, and we want to live with quality,” says senior athlete Bonnie Frankel. The former NCAA Division 1 player made sports history in the early 1990s when she successfully challenged NCAA rules and competed as a college student in her late forties.

“Exercise is a powerful way to unite our physical, emotional, and mental being. It helps us live our best lives. It helps our self-esteem because we’re able to be more independent. Implementing exercise in our daily lives allows us to have so much power.”

The game-changing benefits of active aging

1. You’ll live longer

In a study of adults ages 40 and older, meeting the recommended amount of weekly exercise added nearly 3 1/2 years to an individual’s lifespan. Even those who exercised less than the recommended amount still reduced their risk of early death by 20 percent.

2. You’ll think more clearly

Forget those so-called “senior moments” and memory problems that plague many older adults.

“Exercise jumpstarts the brain’s cleaning and rebuilding process known as autophagy,” says Dr. Scott Noorda, DO. The result? Improved memory, clearer thinking, and a reduced risk of dementia. Active aging has even been shown to increase the size of the part of the brain required for memory.

3. You’ll unlock real health benefits

Dr. Marc Bubbs, ND, says that active aging tackles many of the major health challenges facing older adults.

“It improves blood glucose control,” says Bubbs, noting that high blood sugar levels are linked to an “increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all-cause mortality.

“It lowers systemic inflammation,” adds Bubbs, “[which is] associated with cognitive decline and increased risk of chronic diseases. Exercise also increases muscle mass, which fights off the loss of muscle and bone that occurs as we age.”