Kim Archer

Jul. 4, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Juanita Ellington does the shuffle step, the heel grind and the weave with the surety of a genuine Oklahoma cowgirl.

"My doctor told me I could quit walking and exercising, but I could not quit line-dancing," the 84-year-old said.

"This gets your heart rate up, and you've got to have balance, or you'll fall down."

Ellington is one of a generation of seniors across the country who walk, dance, swim and perform a slew of physical activities to stay healthy. And it's one of the reasons people are living longer.

The number of Americans older than 65 is expected to double over the next 25 years, growing to 71 million by 2030, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By that year, the nation's health care spending is expected to rise 25 percent, a strong incentive for people to stay as healthy as possible as they age.

At East Side Senior Center in Tulsa, Ellington dances three times a week along with about 30 of her peers. Many of the boot-scootin' seniors are in their 80s.

"It's good for balance, bone density and cardiovascular health," said

Jocelyn Moll, LIFE Senior Services' liaison for the center.

"You want healthy bones. You want a healthy heart, and you want a healthy mind. This is good for all of that."

Regular physical activity helps prevent or control many chronic health problems, including high blood pressure, depression, obesity and diabetes.

It also helps improve balance, which reduces the risk of falling.

"I've had several falls in the past," said Rose Mary Stephens, 87, who also line-dances each week. "But I haven't fallen in quite a while. I think dancing helps a lot with balance."

Falls are the leading cause of injury death among older adults. Falls caused 38 percent of all unintentional injury deaths in the U.S. in 2002.

They also are the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma, the CDC said.

Some 1.6 million U.S. seniors were treated in hospital emergency rooms for falls, and 388,000 of those were hospitalized for their injuries, the agency said.

"As a senior, you do not want to fall because it could kill you," said Moll, noting many seniors at East Side had balance problems that were improved through dance and exercise classes.

But after all the health benefits are discussed and espoused, it comes down to one thing for many seniors.

"We like to dance," said 88-year-old Jack Marsee emphatically.

"There are a lot of fun people here. And they're all here for the same reason -- to dance."

Kim Archer 581-8315

kim.archer@tulsaworld.com

THE U.S. HAS MET FOUR OF 11 HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010 TARGETS -- SIX YEARS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE:

-- Mammograms within past two years

-- Colorectal cancer screenings

-- Cholesterol checked within the past five years

-- Lower the percentage of people smoking

BUT THE U.S. HAS MORE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT ON REMAINING HEALTHY PEOPLE 2010 TARGETS:

-- Oral health: complete tooth loss

-- No leisure time physical activity in past month

-- Obesity

-- Flu vaccine in past year

-- Pneumonia vaccine

-- Hip-fracture hospitalizations per 100,000 persons

-- Eating at least five fruits and vegetables daily

Source: CDC report, The State of Aging and Health in America 2007

Newstex ID: KRTB-0205-26445739