Even in the “oldest old,” a little physical activity goes a long way, extending life by at least a few years for people in their mid- to late 80s, Israeli researchers found. The three-year survival rate was about three times higher for active 85-year-olds compared with those who were inactive.
Indeed, it seems that it is never too late to start,” the researchers wrote in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine, which published the study.
(Continue reading in HealthZone)
Photo courtesy of Sun Star
Ten years ago I moved to San Felipe, Baja California. I knew this move would require my driving up to Palm Springs (four plus hour drive) if I wanted to play tennis but I was ?On the Beach? so it had a price.
After being down here for about three months I found two very, very tired tennis courts on El Dorado Ranch, a large land development. The nets were tattered, the courts badly cracked, it was from a tennis players view a very sad sight.
I met a sales woman one day and asked if the courts were being used, ?I don?t see many people out there.? I returned home and the sight of those courts had gotten my attention. I returned to the courts a couple of weeks later and was directed to the activities director. I asked if they might be interested in my giving tennis lessons, I?m a Certified Instructor. She said, ?Let?s give it a try.? Two weeks later we had our first ?Free Tennis Lessons? and four women showed up, all well over sixty. They walked in with wooden racquets and deck shoes, ?This could get very interesting? I mused.
Long story short, today we have seven new lighted tennis courts and well over 100 people using the courts during our ?Season.? I had been giving lessons five days a week but have cut back to two days; at seventy-five it was time to back off a bit. I still get out there and hit a few to keep these old muscles working, it?s a wonderful sport.
These are all seniors. Many had never hit a tennis ball before, they felt the game was more then they could handle. I teach, ?Smarter, not Harder? tennis. It offers exercise, a little thinking and has a great social aspect to it. There is always laughter on the courts. It?s become one big ?Tennis Family.?
Adios,
Cory Dudley