Fitness Fades Fast After 45 - But Healthy Habits Can Stave Off The Inevitable Declines, Research Finds

The findings, appearing in the Oct. 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, are not so surprising in light of the piles of other research that have drawn similar conclusions. But the new study has broad implications, given the rising number of older adults in the United States and the explosion in the sedentary, overweight and aging population. ‘The Social Security Administration actually has an aerobic capacity threshold. If you're below the threshold, you are considered disabled,’ said study author Andrew Jackson. This means more people could qualify for government disability benefits at a younger age, further draining an already strained economy. ‘If people are very overweight, inactive and smoke, they might see these health problems in their 50s and 60s, whereas people who maintain a healthy lifestyle, it's going to be more like their 70s, 80s and possibly even their 90s.’ ‘You have to exercise. It's now becoming established fact, and if you don't incorporate it, you're going to see the effects. You will get sicker sooner,’ added Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease for Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. ‘Exercise is the most potent medication around, and the Social Security Administration agrees with me.’

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