Birthday Girl, 86, Stays Sharp by Playing Bridge With Pals by Dr. David Lipschitz on Creators.com

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Birthday Girl, 86, Stays Sharp by Playing Bridge With Pals

I write this having just called my mother, who lives in South Africa. This week, she turned 86, a mere 20 years older than I, but she's twice as smart and almost as healthy as I am. Apart from the generic troubling back pain, my mother has no medical ailments, continues to be very active, and is as sharp as a tack. The only tangible change that I can see is that after burying her fourth man, she has decided that she's done with the love department. At her age, she tells me, men are just too much work.

Often I have pondered the origins of my mother's good health. Is it genes? Her tightknit South African community? Her activities? While her continued health is definitely a combination of many factors, I think one consuming passion has kept her sharp and active all these years: playing bridge. My mother is a world-class bridge player. She plays competitively on a master level and remembers every card played during the course of a hand. Without doubt, these daily (or sometimes twice daily) engagements keep her mind at its best.

My mother falls into the 50 percent of older people who reach beyond the age of 85 without declines in memory function. In this respect, maintaining an active mind is certainly the major contributing factor. Numerous research studies have shown the importance of "exercising the brain" in slowing the rate at which memory loss develops. Some contend that with age and the natural declines in our biological processes, memory loss is an inevitable byproduct. While that may be true, individuals who exercise their brains regularly tend to show declines much later in life. The active brain does not prevent the progression of memory loss, but rather provides better coping skills, compensating for any loss in function and effectively masking the decline for a longer period of time.

Ultimately, by the age of 90, the natural declines in brain function take over. But, as only 1 in 600 American adults will make it to an 11th decade, many mentally agile individuals succumb to disease well before memory loss becomes detectable.

At the University of Southern California, a group of scientists is closely studying individuals older than 90 who show no discernible declines in memory.

The research indicates that activities that combine mental agility and socialization are the most powerful protectors against memory loss. Luckily for my mother, playing bridge fits the bill. More than just a form of mental exercise, this particular hobby is very social, as well.

As a general rule, my mother plays daily with a committed group of friends. They play hard and competitive card games, but they also gossip, laugh and eat together. I personally think that their deep fondness is only made closer by the periodic spat over how terribly a partner played a particular hand and the inevitable forgiveness that follows. Remember: Forgiveness is a key element in lifelong health!

As a geriatrician, my mother is my hero. She is an example of successful aging at its best. And her routine bridge playing is just one example of how she follows a powerful path to lifelong health. She is not as fit as she should be, does not exercise as much as she should, and certainly is considered "pleasantly plump."

But she eats healthful foods, has very high self-esteem and laughs a great deal. Her life is filled with love from her devoted family and many friends, and she is at peace with her decisions. She is a woman of deep faith and, with some prodding and guidance from her eldest son, has learned to be fully educated about the recommendations doctors give her. Simply put, she is an active and engaged participant in life.

So, to my beautiful mother, I hope you had the happiest of birthdays. I pray that you have many years ahead of remembering all the ways you have enriched your children's lives and made us who we are today. I am eternally grateful. I finally have resolved to take my very first bridge lesson!

Dr. David Lipschitz is the author of the book "Breaking the Rules of Aging." To find out more about Dr. David Lipschitz and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. More information is available at www.DrDavidHealth.com.