The dance of the ages - older women

Aging doesn't have to mean the end of good looks and health or vitality. What it does mean is that we have to make a commitment to maintaining them. The six women on these pages range in age from 49 to 100, and they are all prime examples of how it's done. These are women who are dancing through the ages because they've kept their bodies supple, flexible and strong. Here are some strategies from them and tips from the experts on how you can stay in step:

Exercise

STRATEGY:

Last year Evelyne Greene, 70, accepted her daughter's invitation to go roller-blading and discovered another active sport she could enjoy. This is in addition to skiing, Ping-Pong and tennis.

The very fit Polly Watt, 49, doesn't let a hectic schedule stop her from exercising. "I have one personal trainer I can work with at 6 A.M., if that's the best time for me, and another who's available at 10 P.M.," she says. "But if I can't work with either of them, I get down on the floor alone and do basic exercises. I have to do it!"

Billie Rogers, 55, jokes that she gets her exercise by "dragging laundry up three flights of stairs." But this and a busy schedule keep her so limber that she was able to get down on the floor and pose without complaint for our photo session.

Mildred Grant, 81, exercises by walking about two miles daily. "I don't sit down," she says. "I keep moving!"

EXPERT TIP:

A program of regular exercise (aerobics, walking, calisthenics, swimming) is a must for keeping our bodies flexible and our skin beautiful. Exercise increases circulation, helps us handle stress and balances our weight. Jacqueline Gaffney, who teaches Afro-Brazilian aerobics in New York City, says that she's getting "lots of older people coming in who have arthritis." She adds, "I recommend they use light weights, because they strengthen bones and muscles. On their own they can walk or ride a stationary or regular bike."

Skin

STRATEGY:

Even though she just celebrated 100 years of life, Cathron Colon's skin still has much of its tautness. She credits the smoothness and beauty of her skin to "years and years" of using Oil of Olay Beauty Fluid.

EXPERT TIP:

Skin-care specialist Irma Denson of Irma Denson, Ltd., N.Y.C., stresses the importance of a good care regimen, before and especially after age 40. Denson says we should clean our faces gently, then follow with a nonalcoholic toner and a water-soluble moisturizer.

Hair

STRATEGY:

Bessie Mitchell, 91, shampoos and conditions her fine white hair herself, and a grandson who's studying hairstyling keeps it close-cropped for easy management.

EXPERT TIP:

As we age, our hair loses moisture and thins. Yellowing can also be a problem for gray hair. To counteract this, Barry Fletcher of Avant/Garde Hair Gallery in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, suggests periodically adding a small amount of white vinegar to shampoo and leaving it on the hair for a few minutes. It also helps to break down product buildup.

Nutrition

STRATEGY:

All the women featured here stick to what nutritionists say is the healthiest way for us all to eat. They forgo red meat in favor of fish and poultry, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and drink six to eight glasses of water a day.

EXPERT TIP:

Barbara M. Dixon, a registered dietitian and vice-president of Nutrition World Enterprises, Inc., in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, says that because our metabolism decreases with age, we should cut our caloric intake. But we have to be sure to include foods in our diet that supply the minerals a woman's body needs, especially after the onset of menopause: calcium, iron, zinc and folic acid (a B-complex vitamin). In addition to supplements, these elements can be supplied by milk and dairy products, fish with tiny bones like sardines, leafy green and yellow vegetables, fresh and dried fruit, dried beans and peas, organic meats, blackstrap molasses and some fortified cereals.

With the proper nutrition, skin and hair care and all-important exercise, the dance of the ages can be beautiful and graceful, powered by lasting good health. If you need further proof of this, take a closer look at the women on these pages, then start to dance yourself.

COPYRIGHT 1993 Essence Communications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group