2. Is there ever an age at which it’s too late to make positive lifestyle changes? No. Let’s look at smoking as an example. Even among people who quit smoking at age 75, we see fewer episodes of upper respiratory infections and influenza and fewer days spent sick in bed. If a 75-year-old person does not have disease, they have an average life expectancy of another 12 years. If you stop smoking, your risk of getting lung cancer as a result of smoking will, over the next five years, revert to that of a non-smoker. So even if you’re 75, with a life expectancy of 12 years, that will make a big difference. The same holds true for exercise. A study was done in 90-year-old nursing home patients who were put on a high-intensity weight-training program. These people used small, two-pound weights, but they increased their strength by 300 percent. The more important result was that their functional problems decreased; they were able to get out of bed easier, for example, and go to the bathroom easier. So there is never a time where it’s too late to make positive change.
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