What It Takes To Be Healthy And Mobile At 100+

&l;p&g;More and more people are living to be 100 these days, and even longer. When you meet these oldsters, they are often in wheelchairs, or impaired in visible ways. With such advanced age, that&s;s what we expect. But then there are those who make it that far in life and are still independent and able to manage quite well for themselves. What accounts for the difference?

You can ask Ida Keeling, an exceptional 102 year old track star. She started running at 67, at the encouragement of her daughter. Ida had suffered the devastating loss of two sons to drug-related violence and she was deeply depressed. Running helped her feel better and after that first 5K run, she kept running and hasn&s;t stopped since. And it&s;s more than running that keeps her healthy. She has a regimen she follows daily. It includes lots of vegetables, cereal, fruit and protein shakes. She doesn&s;t eat too much in the way of desserts, which are mostly applesauce and sometimes pie. And there&s;s that daily shot of cognac. She has been interviewed extensively, as a 102 year old record setter in the 60 meter dash and the 100 meter run is certainly a phenomenon. Her words are wise and sound like what most doctors would tell you to do: keep active every day. She does what she needs to do, she says not what she wants to do. She recounts in an interview with Parade, in February, 2018, that &q;running is a good way to feel better mentally and physically.&q; She says &q;I have my bike, my mat and my weights and I use them. I like to keep moving.&q; She has arthritis and aches and pains but she keeps it up regardless. She has written a book, Can&s;t Nothing Bring Me Down: Chasing Myself in the Race Against Time, detailing the hard life she has lived and the struggles she has overcome. What an inspiration!&a;nbsp;&l;img class=&q;alignright size-medium wp-image-7856&q; src=&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/carolynrosenblatt/files/2018/05/ida-289x300.jpg?width=960&q; alt=&q;&q; data-height=&q;300&q; data-width=&q;289&q;&g;

So for the rest of us, those who may be not so motivated to get off the couch, there is plenty to be learned from Ida Keeling. Clearly one does not have to set records in track to stay mobile late in life. However, one does have to keep moving. She uses a bike, which can be stationary for anyone, and set up at home. She gets on her exercise mat, does pushups, and uses her weights to keep from losing muscle mass. It seems to be working very well for her and presumably anyone could do the simple things she adds to her life, even without running. Some doctors advocate the use of stretch exercise bands, which give resistance when you pull on them with your arms or legs. They&s;re as good as weights, the doctors say, and certainly cheaper and easier to transport.

As for the difference between the mobile centenarians and those who aren&s;t able to walk at earlier points in their lives, an overall healthy lifestyle like Ms. Keeling&s;s is key. Genetics is not the only factor responsible for how we age. Research tells us that genetics are only about 30% of how we fare late in life. The rest is about the basics: thoughtful nutrition and eating what&s;s good for you, avoiding what&s;s not good for you. Managing your stress and as in Ida&s;s case, serious depression, with exercise. It can work for anyone. And including movement in your daily routine. This does not mean just a mindless stroll around the block once in awhile. It means a conscious effort to make time for some kind of exercise in your life most days. Perhaps we are all in a race against time. For me, learning from a 102 year old is a fine way to be in that race.

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