Q: I have heard you talking about successful aging. I thought you should use the basics of your talk: ageism, attitude and activity to offer tips for healthy aging. — Brad

A: Thank you for your letter. This was a challenging talk due to equipment failures but as always the audience was fantastic! I think that you may be onto something in trying to talk about the AAA of healthy aging. The most important predictor for good aging is good genes — the genetic makeup we get from our parents, but the three As are right behind the genes.

Let's talk first about ageism. This is a very important and common issue and often misunderstood as well. Ageism means that a given person's health problems, emotional problems and difficulty functioning in daily life are all attributed solely to aging. This of course is not true because we see more and more people who, despite being "mature," stay healthy, happy and useful. You will experience ageist comments on TV, in newspapers and even in a doctor's office. The Next time you hear the comment "this is just old age," fight it. First, ask innocently how come other people may not have the same problem (pain, walking problems and so on)? What special "tablet" did they take? After that, just say this to the person: "you are prejudiced against my age and you should stop thinking like that." The hardest for all of us is to avoid practicing ageism ourselves. We all let others tell us that age will limit us. We need to overcome our own

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fears to fight to stay young. This brings me to the second A, attitude. They say that "attitude is everything." They (whoever they re) are right. No one can keep aging healthy without the right state of mind. This includes many things, but mostly being optimistic and always trying to look at the bright side of things. Being able to recognize the stress in our life and dealing with it as early as possible is another important skill we need to practice. Keeping in touch with friends, ability to relax and gain the distance from our problems is the key. All of us need to find out what relaxes us: music? Good game of bridge? Reading a good book? Playing an instrument? Some practice yoga or other forms of meditation; others call a friend, take a few good photographs or go dancing. At any rate, the ability to deal with stress will make a person live longer. Feeling sad and even being depressed is common as we age. Recognizing the signs of depression and seeking help early will make us less likely to give up and accept the limitations of aging. Way too many of my patients just accept depression. Sometimes, they trust me enough to accept treatment, but not always. If you know of someone who may be fighting depression, help them. Encourage them to seek professional advice. Depression can be treated and mood and function will improve.

The last A stands for activity. We are now talking about both physical and mental activity. Yes, I know any time you read this column there is a sentence about physical exercise. Believe me, regular physical activity has been clearly proven to prolong life. Any form of activity and Any duration are helpful, but a vigorous 30-minute exercise of your choice three times a week is the best. How about mental exercises? Watching TV has been associated with having MORE memory problems so TV as a mental activity is out. The only thing on TV that might be useful would be mind games like "Jeopardy." Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, Scrabble, are all games very useful for your mind. Writing letters to friends can be very stimulating. Trying a new hobby, planning a trip or learning a new language can be fun as well. Here is what we all should do. Let's have a midyear resolution to help us age successfully. Let's work on only one of the three As but let's be serious about it. Do not succumb to ageist comments. Work on your attitude. Get active. Summer may be hot this year, but does not need to be non-productive.