How to Live Longer If You Are a Female

As females age, many difficult social problems often come into picture. When the demographics of older women are compared to their similar aged male counterparts, older women are more likely to be single, rely on others for financial and emotional support, and are more likely to be institutionalized.

It is a statistical fact that women outlive men; after the age of 85, about two and one half times as many women comprise the 85 and older demographic. This is the cause for the interesting demographic statistics talked about in the previous paragraph. Of those living in institutions, many of them are single women. Those who take care of the older 85 demographic in institutions also tend to be predominantly women; these institutional employees often spend about 3.5 to 4.5 hours each day with these elderly individuals. If care is provided by those in the home, many of these women need to cut short their daily activities to help facilitate the lives of the elderly women they take care of.

Abuse is not an uncommon occurrence in institutional and domestic environments where elderly people are taken are of. Typically, the abuse faced by elderly individuals is the result of neglect and not physical or emotional trauma. Financially speaking, many older women are simply incapable of changing their situation to escape abuse. The median income of elderly women in the early 1990s was approximately half that of males in the same age demographic. Nearly twice as many women over 85 live below the poverty line than men of similar age.

African American women are at an advantage compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Statistically speaking, black women can expect to live about 2 to 3 years longer than their white counterparts.

As women age, it is inevitable that their need for assistance and support to carry out the basic activities of life is inevitable. To keep a elderly women in an environment that compliments her health and stimulates her mind is a challenge that she cannot face herself. Activities like cooking, grooming, cleaning, and bathing become more difficult with age; approximately 1 in 16 individuals over 65 years of age requires assistance with these basic life activities.

This statistic changes to 1 in 2 by the time an individual reaches the age of 85. Severe debilitating illness like arthritis, cancer, loss of vision, heart disease, and many other similar complication to an elderly individuals health are often the reason for the steep increase in this statistic. Although diseases and conditions do not always effect bodily functionality in a severe way, diseases and conditions do raise the probability the individual will develop a disability in the future that will impair their body's physical functionality.

One way to ensure women age with grace is by leading a healthy lifestyle from a young age. A great diet, regular exercise routine, can help stave off the negative effects aging tends to have on health. Some easy adjustments in a women's lifestyle, diet, and using preventive health care techniques can really help several years down the road. There really cannot be a price on quality of life, even at a late age. Although there might be some sacrifice involved to make the changes to a young women's life, the rewards they can experience because of these changes later in life make these choices an excellent decision.

Exercises that work the cardiovascular system of the body, such as running jogging, and other similar exercises should also be engaged in by women of all ages. Cardiovascular and aerobic activity are helpful in keeping the heart, circulatory, and other systems of the body running smoothly even after 50 years of age.