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Baby-boomers approaching retirement can put the rocking chair on hold. For as their predecessors are discovering, retirement these days is less about slowing down and more about doing the things you’ve always wanted to do. Family Health Diary reports.

FEEL GOOD, DO MORE, LIVE LONGER!
‘Positive aging’ is the term being used to describe the new approach to getting older. It acknowledges that while you can’t stop the march of time, you don’t have to let it drag you down. By continuing to challenge yourself physically, mentally and socially, life can stay good.

Walter Pattinson, aged 82, can vouch for this. Walter has been diving for more than 45 years, and he knows the underwater world of the Bay of Islands better than anybody.

During the crayfish season he keeps friends and neighbours well-supplied. On days when he’s not diving, Walter rides his mountain bike from Paihia up to the Waitangi Golf Course and back.
 
“My own drive keeps me going. I’ve always been an energetic person and I still feel able to do it. People tell me I’m too old to be doing all this, but I know how I feel.”

Despite a spot of trouble in March, when his boat drifted away from him, Walter is adamant he’ll keep on diving till his lungs no longer allow him.

For some people, retirement can actually mean the start of a new vocation, not a vacation.

Take James Laidlaw, aged 80, who’s become something of a computer expert in recent years. As president of SeniorNet Hawke’s Bay, he has the job of maintaining 22 computers operating on a variety of platforms, from Windows 98 right through to Vista.

“I’d never used a computer in my life before I helped start up SeniorNet in the  Hawke’s Bay in 1996. But all my life I’d been interested in machinery, so it wasn’t too hard to get my head around computers.

“I’m at the centre most days. I’m teaching, putting courses together and writing newsletters – plus I do the maintenance. I’d say I was a fairly busy guy!”

For 78-year-old Val Lyon, ‘getting on’ in years has seen her ‘mucking in’ a lot more and making her beloved West Auckland a better place to live.

Val was one of the founding members of ‘Ark in the Park’, a volunteer organisation that is helping create an open sanctuary in Cascades Kauri Park in Auckland’s far west. She’s also been helping Oratia School for around 27 years, and has just organised a fundraising walk through Oratia Valley as part of the school’s 125th year celebrations.

When she’s not involved with volunteer activities, Val loves an adventure. A few years ago she saw a notice advertising a covered wagon journey through Central Otago – the first Otago Goldfields Cavalcade. She was nursing a broken ankle at the time, but that didn’t stop her.

“I’ve had two hip replacements, so my hips don’t worry me – however now my knees are giving out. It means I can’t go tramping any more, but I’m still swimming three days a week at the Olympic Pools.”
By Jo Joiner

USE IT OR LOSE IT
The Kiwi habit of ‘slowing down and taking it easy’ during retirement isn’t doing anybody any favours. As you get older, it becomes even more important to keep your body functional with activity and exercise.

Joints and bones
It’s important to maintain bone density as you age to avoid osteoporosis, which can lead to fractures and loss of height.

Weight-bearing exercise, where your body is working against gravity, helps to maintain bone strength. For people over the age of 60, brisk walking is an easy and effective form of weight bearing exercise.

Joints can become stiff unless you make a conscious effort to maintain your full range of movement. Keep your joints ‘well-oiled’ with yoga, swimming or stretching classes.

Muscle strength
In both men and women, muscle strength declines with age. However this trend can be offset with various forms of strength training.
For older people, staying strong can prolong independent living. Weight training, yoga and pilates are forms of exercise that will help to maintain or improve muscle mass.

Cardiovascular system
To stay efficient, your cardiovascular system needs to be regularly challenged with endurance exercise. Brisk walking, cycling and running all improve the work capacity of your heart and lungs. From preventing heart disease and type 2 diabetes to managing weight and stress to maintaining fitness, ‘cardio’ workouts help to extend life and improve its quality. Aim for four or more 30-minute sessions a week.
  
KEEPING YOUR BRAIN IN GOOD SHAPE
Looking after your brain as you age is as important as looking after your body. If you continue to learn and challenge yourself, your brain is more likely to stay in good shape. A busy, stimulated brain produces new connections between nerve cells, and that’s the secret to keeping your grey matter fit and healthy.

A mentally stimulating hobby, taking classes that interest you and reading a wide range of books will all help to keep memory functions working.

How can you challenge yourself?
  • Learn to play a musical instrument
  • Do crossword and jigsaw puzzles
  • Learn how to use a computer
  • Have stimulating conversations
  • Find a new interest
  • Take up a new form of exercise
  • Watch documentary channels on TV
  • Learn a foreign language
  • Travel to places you’ve never seen before

STAYING INVOLVED
Retirement is a time when you can ‘give something back’ to your community. Volunteer work is hugely satisfying and a great way to stay involved with the world; it’s also a way for older people to pass on their skills, expertise and
experience.

If you can’t immediately think of a volunteer group that you’d like to help, there is a special ‘Young Seniors’ section on VolunteerNow, a website that was born from a discussion between Stephen Tindall and the Prime Minister, Helen Clark.

THE MIRACLE OF OKINAWA
The nearest thing to the fountain of youth is the Okinawan way of life. One of the islands of Japan, Okinawa has the world’s longest life expectancy. Living to 100 in Okinawa is no great accomplishment, because many people do.

The island’s centenarians have a history of aging slowly and delaying, or sometimes escaping, the usual age-related diseases – dementia, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

To find out why Okinawa’s residents lead such long and healthy lives, the Okinawa Centenarian Study looked at more than 800 centenarians and numerous ‘youngsters’ aged between 70 and 100.

Here are a few of the study’s findings:
  • The people of Okinawa eat healthy food. Their diet is mostly grains, legumes, fish and vegetables.
  • The average body mass index is between 18 and 22. Okinawans practice hara hachi bu – which means they only eat until they are 80% full. Moderation was found to be a key cultural value.
  • There are virtually no women in Okinawa using hormone replacement therapy. They experience menopause naturally with fewer complications such as hot flushes. Okinawan women have a very high intake of natural oestrogens through their diet.
  • Okinawans have a low risk of breast, prostate, ovarian and colon cancer, possibility due to their high vegetable and fruit consumption, higher intake of good fats, high fibre diet, high flavonoid intake, low body fat level and high level of physical activity.
  • Compared to Westerners, older Okinawans have impressively young, clean arteries, reducing their risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.


Positive aging sites to visit
www.seniornet.org.nz
www.volunteeringnz.org.nz
www.ageconcern.org.nz
www.volunteernow.org.nz


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