BoomerGirl Diary

Life for Dr. Sam Sugar, 59, has become a frequent reminder that 50 isn't the new 30. The media hype that tries to tell him that doesn't jibe with reality.

Sometimes getting out of bed in the morning is a reminder.

"My wife and I borrowed a phrase. Every time we get up in the morning we say, '... The rot is setting in.' That's what we're trying to do - prevent the rot," says Sugar, a physician with the Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa in Aventura, Fla. "The things we used to do without thinking about it become a little more complicated, a little more painful, a little more difficult, and we become aware of our need to make changes in our existence.

"At this point in life, whether it's 50, 51, 55, a lot of things change," he says. "And those changes can take you by surprise."

As baby boomers jog into their 50s and 60s, experts fear many will hurt or disappoint themselves by trying to perform at levels their bodies won't allow.

For decades, being older than 50 hasn't meant retiring to a rocking chair, but it does mean it's time to live intelligently within your limitations, says Margaret Herning, associate professor of physical therapy at St. Louis University. It's time to realize that your muscles, bones, joints and even your brain are slowing down.

"We're considering middle age now to be about 40 to 65 years of age," Herning said. "People are living so much longer."

Although people may think and even act 30, their bodies won't do what 30-year-old bodies can do, experts say.

Even people in top shape need to recognize they're not kids anymore, says Dr. John Morley, chief of geriatrics at St. Louis University School of Medicine. "You cannot be at 50 what you were at 30."

The downward trend actually begins in the mid-20s, he says.

"Thirty-year-olds are much healthier than 50-year-olds," Morley says. "Very few people can play at a top level after 40; even baseball, which is a relatively nonphysical sport."

The good news is that most people 50 to 75 years old are much stronger than most people that age three decades ago, Morley says. Strides in health care and healthy lifestyles have made living past 50 much more fun.

Already, modern technology has helped the average American stay mentally sharper by default. Modern 50-somethings spend more time working with smaller things - computers, cell phones and digital equipment, for example - that keep the brain sharp, Morley says.

"We function better, have better health care, fewer epidemics, healthier food, and we manipulate smaller things - and all these things improve functioning."

Otherwise, accept reality, Sugar says. You are an accumulation of your injuries," he says. "There's going to be some wear and tear as you get older; you have to respect that."

The preoccupation with staying young stems from people living longer, he says. Folks want to spend all those extra years enjoying life.

"We're all affected by the desire to live longer because we recognize our mortality," Sugar says. "So living longer becomes a priority: How do we live longer and live better?"

Margaret Herning, associate professor of physical therapy at St. Louis University, divides boomers trying to stay healthy and fit into three categories of folks who show up for therapy:

The fit few

People who have exercised all their lives, never been out of shape and are so full of moxie that they try to compete against people two decades younger. She doesn't worry about them - much - because their bodies will tell them when to back off.

Weekend warriors

Folks who return to exercising after long layoffs and do too much too fast.

"The huge population is not that active. They're finding they can't eat as much, they're putting on more weight, and they're probably more in high-stress jobs that have their own complications. They need to start slow, build up."

Formerly fit

They retired to a soft sofa, and the heaviest thing they've lifted in years has been a TV remote. They mistakenly think they can pick up where they left off and start lifting weights as heavy as those they lifted 20 years ago.

Start slow, Herning says. Do more repetitions with lighter weights, even up to half the weight you once lifted. Be careful with high-impact sports such as basketball. Compete against your own age and fitness group.

How the body ages

Brain

• Problem - As you age, the brain slows down, but more because it's full of information than because the nerve tissue is old.

• Remedy - This is the No. 1 use-it-or-lose-it organ. Exercise your brain with the same vigor that you exercise your muscles. You make new connections and memories throughout your life. Read, think, learn something new, play, relieve stress, exercise and eat right. Also, if it's good for your heart, it's good for your brain.

Eyes

• Problem - Tissues harden, weight gain causes focus problems, diabetes and cardiovascular disease can damage the tiny blood vessels, cataracts form more aggressively and macular degeneration is a danger.

• Remedy - If you're healthy, generally your eyes are healthy. Still, annual checkups are essential because other diseases - most commonly diabetes, severe hypertension and cardiovascular disease - can reveal themselves through the eyes. Otherwise, doctors can fix cataracts, glaucoma and focus problems. And last year the FDA approved a breakthrough treatment for macular degeneration.

Cardiovascular

• Problem - Cardiovascular problems increase as you age, especially if you're sedentary. Hypertension is the most dangerous condition because over time it damages your heart, brain, kidneys and other organs.

• Remedy - You are what you eat, and most of it is floating around your bloodstream. More vegetables, fruits, fiber and water in your diet keep the body clean. Eat according to the MyPyramid eating plan or try the DASH (dietary approach to stop hypertension) eating plan. And, of course, make sure you work your heart: That means cardiovascular exercise. Most experts recommend 30 minutes a day most days a week.

Joints

• Problem - Joints operate with connective tissue - cartilage, tendons and ligaments. These get brittle and frayed with years of wear and tear. Arthritis is a big complaint for people older than 50 and former athletes of any age.

• Remedy - Trade high-impact activities for low-impact exercise. Walk instead of jog, lift lighter weights more and heavier weights more slowly.

Experts disagree about the benefits of glucosamine condroitin, a supplement touted to improve joints. If you try it, it won't hurt and it may help, but it takes months to have any effect.

Muscles

• Problem - Even for the most avid athlete, muscle mass reduces as you get older - starting in the late 20s or early 30s. Most people lose about 1 percent of their muscle mass a year, women more than men. The less active you are, the faster muscle goes away.

• Remedy - Use it or lose it. Lifting weights increases muscle mass even into the 80s and 90s. Start out with a personal trainer to prevent injury.

Bones

• Problem - As you age, your bones get brittle, for women more than men, and more so in families with histories of low bone density.

• Remedy - Low bone density can be reversed at any age. Osteoporosis can't be cured, but it can be slowed or reversed. Eat more calcium-rich foods - dairy products, vegetables and fish. Stop drinking cola, smoking and drinking too much alcohol. Exercise has also been shown to slow or reverse low bone density.

Skin

• Problem - Skin thins with years. This bag that keeps everything together needs more care and feeding over time.

• Remedy - Use moisturizers, eat more fruits and vegetables and drink a lot of water, up to more than a gallon a day. Avoid caffeine, tobacco, cola and more than one alcoholic beverage a day. Everyone should be wary of sun damage.

Digestion

• Problem - If you try to eat as much as when you were younger, you'll get fat. Scientists disagree as to why. Some say the metabolism slows. Others say that the older you get, the less movement you employ so you burn fewer calories. On the flip side, some people lose interest in food and become anorexic.

• Remedy - The character of your eating should change as you age. Again, eat better food - fruits, vegetables, grains - and keep the servings of meat to about the size of your palm. Aging anorexia happens most often when the taste buds dull. Use spices to pump up the flavors.

Feet

• Problem - Sore feet are not a natural part of aging. Having sore feet can be a symptom of life-threatening conditions. Podiatrists often find looming disease before your family doctor. The most dangerous is diabetes, which often reveals itself through symptoms in the foot and ankle. Be aware that only experts can detect discoloration in dark skin.

• Remedy - Pain from overuse or injury goes away after a few hours or days and with some warm-water soaking and massage. When pain, discoloration and swelling linger longer than a couple of days and with no apparent cause, see the foot doctor.