Like many in her age range, Sylvia McGregor, a 97-year-old in Sydney, Australia, deals with her share of maladies — in her case, arthritis, osteoporosis, hearing loss, macular degeneration, lung disease, hypothyroidism, chronic kidney disease, heart disease and two total knee replacements. But unlike most nonagenarians, she does intensive strength training twice a week.
She credits the exercises, which she’s been doing for 12 years, with allowing her to live independently. “I still live by myself, and I take care of myself,” she says. “It was only when I was in hospital last year that they said I had to have a walker to go back home alone. So I said, ‘That’s OK by me.’”
McGregor is in one of the fastest-growing age groups — individuals age 80 years and older. By 2050, this “oldest old” group is expected to triple in number to 447 million worldwide.
