From comments I've read in response to various articles, I get the impression that young people often attribute characteristics to those in their 60s and 70s that are actually more typical of those in their 80s and 90s.

I try to eat well and get enough rest and a little exercise. Walking, if possible seems to really help. I can compare 2 people I know in their mid 70s and the contrast is striking. I have a cousin in her mid 70s in Europe who looks like she is in her early 50s at worst! She doesn't smoke, but she doesn't do obsessive exercising either and eats a little of whatever she likes, has an occasional drink. I think her secret is not thinking about how old she is, and the walking and cleaning her own house. She was also a caregiver for many years to my 97 yr. old Aunt.
In contrast, my business partner here in the States is the same age and she looks in her 80's,...no exercise, has others do everything for her, and eats a lot of fast food yet she spends oodles of cash on weight reduction programs that never work. I have to wonder about the preservatives in processed foods we eat here, the hectic lifestyles, and the lack of walking and keeping a routine as they do in Europe. I have used a daily routine of meals, bathing, naps etc. at regular times with my bedridden Mom with dementia, and it has helped keep her sleeping through the night. In Europe I have a cousin who is 103, and many have made it into their late 90s still walking and somewhat engaged in life. I do believe in keeping busy physically and mentally.Don't think about how old you are so much and more about who you are inside. Everything in moderation, don't smoke or stop smoking, and just do the best you can with your diet and exercise when you can.

Sometimes things (stress) in caregiving creeps up on you slowly throughout the year(s). I started to be a caregiver for my mother in my home while going to work. As the time passed the caregiver 'demands' from a mother getting older and her priorities becoming 'high maintenance' enveloped my lifestyle and has pulled me downward. I try to work on myself every day, but you can't change the facts that your life will never be the same after time has slowly passed you by. There's a lot of pressures aside from caregiving like working for you own financial well-being that add to feeling old. One other thing I may suggest is to keep up with hair cuts and dress to make yourself feel better to in the 'loop'.

cwillie, of course you are right. We cannot control what happens to us. We can tip the odds a bit by doing things such as what this article suggests, but complete control is an illusion. I don't know how old you are, but when I was a child at the height of the cold war, we had fire drills, and also air raid drills. We practiced hiding under out desks, in case of a nuclear attack. It gave us -- and more importantly our parents -- the illusion that we had some control over what happens to us.

If switching from whole milk to skim milk makes you feel more in control of your destiny, I guess that is no more harmful than teaching children to hide under their desks.

JamieInVirginia, I agree with you about vaccinations! I had shingles before there was a vaccine for it. I've considered it now, and decided against it. Once you have had shingles the odds change. Please rethink this with the new circumstances in mind, when the time is right. I'm not trying to talk you out of getting the vacinnation -- just advising you to not rely on the research you did as someone who hadn't had the disease.

And I also agree that disease is very painful! Take care of yourself and best wishes.

Life is a crap shoot, we can follow all the good advice about diet and exercise and still be betrayed by our bodies. I get tired of hearing from all those "experts" who smugly credit their lifestyle choices with their physical and mental well being. There is abundant evidence of cancer, heart disease and other life altering illnesses striking down the physically fit and dementia overtaking those who were once brilliant and engaged.

This was an excellent reminder for me as I am growing into my mid 50s. I've noticed declines in several of the areas above, and all are/were within my control. Now, I need to refocus. However, I would like to stress that we need to also take care of ourselves by taking advantage of vaccines that are available. I have gotten the flu vaccine for the first time in my life this year and the pneumonia vaccine. What I didn't take advantage of was the shingles vaccine, and guess what my Christmas present was this year? A text-book case of the Shingles, very painful, and not a welcome visitor during this time of the year. While there may be controversy surrounding the effectiveness of the vaccine, after what I've been through, I'm getting the vaccine as I am able.

Thanks for summarizing Larry Matson's tips. I would be more enthusiastic about it if the title were something like "How to be your best at any age." I really don't buy into the notion that youth is good and age is bad. Health is good at any age.

I also think it is ridiculous to suggest that all it takes is " making small, simple lifestyle changes." Nonsense. For some of us some of these would be neither small nor simple. My mother smoked for 78 years. It took a year of transition on e-cigs and then nicotine patches in a tcu to wean her off that habit. Small? Simple? Ha!

Changing our eating patterns is do-able and worthwhile. But, please don't insult us by calling it "simple."

These are good tips but I have a hard time taking them seriously, since the author doesn't acknowledge (at least in this summary) how challenging it can be to put them into practice.

Thank you very much for reminding us of these things we need to remember. It's like you know those 10 things to do but if we're not doing them daily we forget to do them. A new year is amongst us so never a bad time to start. God bless

I've come to believe that on a weighted scale, #1 is by far the most important - my guess is it's something like half the battle. When my parents became less physically active in their late 70s it precipitated a drastic decline in their mental functioning and physical health. Do whatever you can to keep active including some kind of exercise every day and more vigorous workouts a few times a week. And sit less!

Great advice for staying young as we get older!

Definitely agree with everything in the article and although we have no control sometimes on what happens to us, we certainly do have control on how we react - which is worth remembering as we work to keeping our mind, body & soul in harmony.

Great information, esp. the exercise & dietary one. As for herbal meds, many seniors don't/can't use them due to low income - prescriptions are tax deductible &/or are covered by a medical plan, herbs are not and usually quite expensive at healthfood stores. Don't forget to laugh & connect with friends!

Great article........ I like #9 the pill popping, my doctor just writes RX's everytime I mention a problem. I just went off of an antidpressant and it was a nightmare. Please people try to use herbal meds first before useing a RX.

100% on the nail! Thankyou. As a caregiver No 4 is my area of weakness. Have to work more on that.