Ewan Sargent

Kiwis are living longer, but to enjoy the extra years in good health they need to make smart, consistent lifestyle choices.

Ageing expert Dr Hamish Jamieson says a longer life doesn’t need to mean eking out an uncomfortable end. Jamieson, a geriatrician and researcher at Otago University, says the average life span is getting two years longer as every decade passes.

In the 1950s it was rare for someone to live to 70 years old. Now it’s more common for people to make it to 80 or 90.

This age extension has come from improved public health, medicines, nutrition as well as increased health awareness and better treatment for heart disease and some cancers.

It’s a common myth that living longer just means facing more years of frailty at the end, says Jamieson.

It’s a common myth that living longer just means facing more years of frailty at the end,

reports.

Think of a life span as like a rubber band, he says. If this band has been stretched to 80-90, instead of 70, the frail part at the end is only slightly longer and the years spent living well are extended greatly. ‘‘One of the most important things about ageing is that people can take more responsibility for themselves. Investing in healthy ageing is one of the best investments people can make,’’ he says. Consistent changes to lifestyle are the key:

Exercise

It’s a well-worn mantra, but Jamieson says exercise has a huge impact on health. ‘‘It helps bone strength and reduces the risk of osteoporosis, it helps lower the risk of heart attacks, strokes and diabetes, and it probably helps with cancer risk as well.’’ Continuing to move is also an important way to maintain independence.