Rising Population of Elderly
In 2000, 16 percent of the United States population was over the age of sixty. By the year 2050, 27 percent of the United States population will be over the age of sixty.
Due to medical and health care advances, many people are aging past 60 and staying alive longer. People are living longer but that does not mean the quality of life for older people has improved. That is why it is important for the aging to keep healthy lifestyles like that of John A. Kelley from Boston. John Kelley ran the Boston Marathon 58 times during his life, the last one being at the age of 84. Even at the age of 84, John was able to complete the marathon just less than 6 hours. John went through the same physical changes that every adult and every world record marathon winner has gone through.
The difference is that John maintained his good health and kept exercising. As people age they find it harder to perform like they once did. It is not because they are not in the same shape or that they are not in good health. It is because as a person ages, their maximal oxygen uptake starts to decrease. This decrease does not allow aging bodies to utilize and transport oxygen like it once had. The decrease in oxygen transportation and utilization makes it harder on the heart to keep up during exercise and the heart changes accordingly. Older people start slowing down because of their changing bodies, not because they are not in good health. It is actually possible for aging people to become healthier with age and gain strength as they continue to age with training.