Posted on: June 8, 2007
Booming at 60
The secret to staying vital after 60 isn’t finding the fountain of youth, it’s finding new ways to add joy and stimulation to life
By Hannah Seligson
CTW Features
A decade ago, the headline, “N.J. Woman, 60, Gives Birth to Twin Boys,” could have only been read in the National Enquirer, probably alongside a story about the birth of a two-headed baby that also was half-dog.
Today, the story of Frieda Birnbaum, who gave to twin boys last month at age 60, certainly perked some ears but also reminded us that, yes, maybe 60 could be the new 40.
Dr. Nina Tumosa, a professor of internal medicine in the division of geriatrics and a professor at the new Center for Aging Successfully at St. Louis University, says 60 can be the best time in your life but not if you expect to find a magical fountain of youth. Instead, Tumosa advises those entering their sixth decade to simulate the fountain of youth by adhering to the following four tenants:
Take up a yoga or Pilates class
We’ve all heard the instruction to exercise regularly (ad nauseam), but Tumosa says that you’ll be better served focusing on your coordination and balance after 60 than hitting the treadmill. “People over the age of 60 are often on a lot of medication that can make it difficult for them to balance. It’s also a preventative measure to work on your balance, since this is an age when a lot of women, particularly, develop osteoporosis. Having good coordination and balance can help stave off an injury from a fall.”
Don’t lose weight
Yes, you read that correctly. A doctor just told you not to lose weight. Tumosa says that because the body loses muscle before fat, people over the age of 60 will do themselves a big disservice by losing additional muscle mass. Not convinced? Aesthetically, Tumosa says, that it’s not going to look good. “As we get older, our skeleton spreads and gets wider and our head gets bigger. You are going to look silly if you are the same weight you were in high school with this big head.”
Visit your doctor more
Since this is the decade when risk factors increase for many diseases and conditions, Tumosa says it’s critical to keep up with your diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis screenings.
Relish in this decade
Despite our cultural obsession with youth, getting older has many – yet not often discussed – benefits, say Tumosa. “We have more money and a better standard of living in our 60s. Now our children have children and we have been incorporated in to someone else’s family. Personally, I have friends all over the world. I have the opportunity to travel more, to relearn Political Science, and to devote time to the causes I care about. What could be better?”
Hannah Seligson is a writer based in New York and the author of “New Girl on the Job: Advice from the Trenches” (Citadel Press, 2007).
