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Email Story to a Friend June 13, 2006 Stay active and keep smiling By SHARON JOHNSON I came across something I want to share with you. It's a list, and I think it will make you smile. The list starts with, "Everything I need to know I learned from Noah's Ark." The first item? "Don't miss the boat." It moves on to "Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built his ark." My favorite is, "Stay fit. When you're 60, someone may ask you to do something really big." That last item would resonate well with the folks at the International Council on Active Aging www.icaa.cc . They are all about aging fitness. This is the organization that promotes itself using a gray-headed elder swirling a Hula Hoop. In the photo, she looks very healthy; she's definitely smiling. This next item won't make you smile. The newest figures, which come from a study done by the nonpartisan National Academy of Social Insurance, as reported in Aging Today, a publication of the American Society on Aging, indicate that chronic conditions are increasing in older adults, people like you and me. In Medicare-eligible populations, the most recent data finds 87 percent have at least one chronic condition. These include diabetes, emphysema, heart disease, hypertension and arthritis. Medicare beneficiaries with five or more chronic conditions make up 20 percent of the Medicare population. And, I suspect this next fact won't surprise you, this health-burdened group is responsible for 66 percent of Medicare spending. The folks at the International Council on Active Aging would probably say, "Inactivity is very expensive." Advertisement It's true. When you turn 60 or 65 or whatever age you celebrate on your next birthday, you could be asked to do something big. Staying active means you will respond with a broad grin and a resounding "yes" to a lots-of-walking family vacation or an afternoon at the spray park with the grandkids. And staying active means we're less likely to end up in that group of elders with multiple chronic conditions. But it's bigger than that. Even if you're already in that situation, even if several difficult disease conditions exist for you, it's not too late. Physical activities — the kinder, gentler version, especially — when started slowly make a measurable difference in your energy level and stamina. There is more good news. Interest in staying fit after 55 is on the rise. Of all the age groups including people 18-24, older adults are demonstrating the greatest investment and involvement in physical activity. A study of sports participation at www.americansportsdata.com finds less taxing forms of exercise seem to be the most popular with the older generation. That would be things like yoga, fitness walking and chair aerobics. Think about it, it's real. There's the exploding phenomenon in Curves fitness centers. There's growing interest in tai chi and pilates. There are lots of options — tried a Hula Hoop lately? My best illustration is an 80-plus friend of mine who regularly drives herself to the swimming pool at the Waterford Health and Fitness Club in Medford. That would be the same woman who teaches strength-training classes at her church — you know her, I think. She's the one who smiles a lot. Sharon Johnson is an associate professor in health and human services at Oregon State University and on the faculty of the OSU Extension. E-mail her at [email protected] or call 776-7371, Ext. 210. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisement s Advertisement