Research shows that people are living longer, and the quality of those extra years is a matter of individual choice.

According to a 2002 report by the Commission of the European Communities, longetivity in both developed and less developed countries is projected to increase by between nine and 11 years by 2050. More recent research suggests more people in developed countries are reaching the age ninety.

Without a doubt, we are going to live longer.

This has enormous economic and social ramifications. The upside is that people will have more scope for realising their potential. The commonly held belief that people's abilities decline with age is a myth. In fact, although there are variations across different disciplines and countries, people often make their most outstanding achievements at a mature rather than young age. Beethoven composed his Ninth Symphony, Tolstoy wrote War and Peace and Julius Caesar conquered Gaul when they were all in their 50s, and none of them stopped there.

Growing older doesn't necessarily have to mean loss of functions and energy. What everyone wants from living longer is continued quality of life. United States gerontologic doctors Robert Kahn and John Rowe define successful aging as a process that involves dreaming, planning and actually achieving goals. Their 1998 concept involves three interrelated components: absence of disease and disability, maintenance of mental and physical function and continuing engagement with life.

According to Drs Kahn and Rowe, a person free of disease and disability is more able to challenge themselves mentally and physically. Absence of disease and disability allows for high mental and physical functioning and the ability to maintain close interpersonal relationships with others, as well as participating in activities that are meaningful and productive.

So how to avoid disease and disability later in life? Many of the answers are simple and well known already.

Healthy habits

Everyone knows they should drink plenty of water, have ample sleep and eat unprocessed foods rich in vitamins A, E, C and other vital nutrients. Fresh fruit and vegetables, especially yellow-coloured ones, help combat the cell oxidation that allows the development of free radicals responsible for many of the physical effects of ageing. Foods with anti-oxidant properties control compounds such as lipoic acid and help retard ageing.

Eating four to six meals composed of around 40 percent protein, 40 percent complex carbohydrates and 20 percent fat, no larger than your outspread hand, is the recommended daily intake. While between 10 and 20 percent of the population take oral supplements, research evidence strongly suggests that vitamins and micronutrients are much more effective ingested in natural foods.

Insulin is a storage hormone. Eating a lot of sugar in the form of sweet foods and drinks causes the body to secrete excessive amounts of insulin, which triggers storage of sugar and fats in the blood. The blood sugar level drops, causing tiredness and weight gain, ultimately leading to the risk of developing diabetes.

Avoiding the excessive consumption of toxins such as alcohol and drugs is a given, and smoking is a complete no-no. The substance that everyone needs is actually a good sun block!

Exercise is the other key factor in offsetting physical ageing. Aerobic exercise such as swimming, walking or jogging improves cardiovascular health and keeps the metabolism functioning at a high level to help maintain a healthy weight. Resistance training (weight-bearing exercise) builds muscle and helps maintain bone density. Exercise disciplines that foster flexibility are of enormous benefit to ageing bodies, and the tranquillity and respite from stress offered by activities such as yoga or transcendental meditation provide an additional benefit.

Remaining active is a mantra for ageing well, and the interest taken in activities, including hobbies, creates a plethora of positive flow-on effects, from goal setting and fulfilling to social interaction through shared interests or simply sharing in pleasurable pursuits with family and friends.

Replacement therapies

Meanwhile, scientific research continues to unveil new possibilities in anti-ageing. We know ageing is caused by internal hormonal changes, but which comes first? Do we age because they change or do they change because we age?

Hormones are strong chemicals produced from cholesterol, amino acids and proteins from endocrine glands. They work as a messenger between our brains to body organs. Already, replacement therapy of the sex hormones is commonly used by both men and women.

In the field of anti-ageing medicine other hormones such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), melatonin, cortisol, thyroid hormone and the growth hormone progesterone are being investigated for their roles in treating age-related conditions.

And the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) spiral too is being unravelled to provide solutions. Through identification of an individual's genetic makeup, genomic diets are set to become part of the anti-ageing lexicon, while the use of stem cells for skin and organ regeneration is currently being initiated.

What this means for the upcoming generations of people who are going to live longer is a complete paradigm shift in the way they think about getting older and the expectations they invest in this bonus period of their lives.

Today, the future of ageing looks brighter than at any time in the past.

ACSM #38