Senior Living Doesn’t Mean Slowing Down

So many of Monarch Landing’s residents are exemplars of the mottos that 70 is the new 50; 80 is the new 60; and 90 is the new 70. Residents of all ages enjoy Monarch Landing’s full range of fitness and activities.

More Americans than ever are living into their 80s, 90s and 100s. The number of people aged 90-and-over is three times what it was in 1980. It’s no longer a surprise to encounter older adults enjoying sports, travel, and social outings as they approach the century mark.

Some of our most noted living nonagenarians range from television stars to the silver screen: Robert Duvall, Barbara Eden, Marla Gibbs, James Earl Jones, and William Shatner. They inspire us along with everyday people like the featured 90-year-olds competing in the National Senior Games in Florida last May. Yvonne Aasen, 90, of Westminster, Md., tied for the gold medal in the 50-meter dash with a time of 20.43 seconds. She says running is “just what I do. I feel good when I run, and when I don’t run it feels like I’m missing something.” She also ran in the 100, 400, 800 and 1,500. Roy Englert was one of the oldest participants at the Games, finishing the 400 meters in 3:35.47. Englert credits his success to a simple equation. “My consistent advice is to keep moving, keep moving, keep moving,” he said, “and have a little luck.”

Eating Well spoke with centenarians—those over 100 years old—to understand the secrets of healthy aging. We’ve highlighted before the benefits of healthy eating and staying fit. Paul Hitch of Savannah, Ga., 100, says he stays sharp by following the stock market. “It’s challenging and keeps me up to date with what’s going on in the world,” he shares. We’ve also written about the benefits of drinking wine. Eating Well adds that wine has antioxidants that strengthen the heart, and the socialization that comes with the vino boosts longevity, too.

So many of Monarch Landing senior living community’s residents are exemplars of the mottos that 70 is the new 50; 80 is the new 60; and 90 is the new 70. Residents of all ages enjoy Monarch Landing’s full range of fitness and activities including Chair Zumba, Coffee Klatch, poker, billiards, movie nights, and happy hour in Millstone Lounge. These active, energetic seniors give new meaning to the axiom that age isn’t anything but a number.

The secrets of a long life extend beyond having good genes. It’s staying active, eating healthy food, remaining positive, and being grateful, too. Those are lessons all of us can learn and appreciate at any age.