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If you think that getting older is the beginning of the end, think again. Sure, skin loses some elasticity and joints get creaky, and maybe you can’t keep your eyes open past 9:30 p.m. But even people well into their 80s are going to yoga and Pilates classes, volunteering, having sex and taking college courses. In short, getting older has its upside.

Don’t believe it? Then listen to these experts: John Murphy is a Brown University Medical School professor and expert on geriatrics; Cheryl Phillips is chief medical officer of On Lok, a nonprofit organization in San Francisco that advocates for the elderly and for long-term care. Here’s what they had to say about aging, in separate interviews:

What gets better as you age?

Murphy: Memories and stories get better. I think that past recollections, which are so much richer than in my younger patients, can really flavor how (older people) respond to new occurrences in life. Seniors generally identify quality of life as good. As we age, we each start to develop a sense of perspective that makes us more valuable in contributing to society.

A couple of weeks ago, I spoke with two seniors who recalled the 1918 influenza outbreak; one was in New York, one was in Berlin. To hear them, what it was like then, certainly they put the panic … and the H1N1 (flu) in perspective. I also think the wisdom that people bring to every encounter is significantly enhanced when you get older.

Phillips: Very often, as people age, they will describe a much broader network of family and friends. There is an opportunity to expand that network, adding new friends and family.

If you look at aging as a series of losses-strength, hearing, eyesight, friends, time-people will get depressed and see it as a negative. If they see it as new opportunities-historian of family experiences and a new opportunity to travel-they will embrace it. Really, it starts with the framework and perspective. Many 80 year olds say, “There’s no way I’d want to go back to that way of life (in their younger years). Now I get to sit back and watch others work.”

Language skills continue to improve into our 40s and 50s. Skills that depend on strategy and learning get better in our middle ages. Not only do we have experience to build from, but our brains store learned patterns. We know, for example, that people are better drivers in their 30s and 40s than in their teens and early 20s: Just ask the insurance companies.

Many sports that require repetitive actions and thus learned muscle responses also get better. Peak athletic performance is in the late 20s and early 30s, but it is often later than that when we best learn how to discipline ourselves, use better thinking and strategy planning and be more observant.

What about sex

For the rest of this article, go to http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/lifestyle-1/1265749238102690.xml&storylist=health&thispage=2

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