Local Author Roger Landry Addresses Woods Hole Woman’s Club

Dr. Roger Landry addressing members of the Woods Hole Woman's Club

East Falmouth resident Roger Landry, MD, MPH, a preventative medicine physician spoke at the monthly Meeting of the Woods Hole Woman’s Club on October 11. Dr. Landry is the author of Live Long, Die Short: A Guide to Authentic Health and Successful Aging and specializes in empowering older adults to maximize their unique potential.

In his address, Dr. Landry encouraged aging adults to emulate the leaves of trees: with the passage of time become more colorful, join with others to make more beauty together than one can alone, and fall off the tree quickly without a prolonged painful decline. He advocates avoiding conformity with a stereotype of what it means to grow older, saying that 70% of how people age is shaped by the lifestyle choices made by each individual.

Three major ingredients contribute to successful aging, according to Dr. Landry. These are: maintaining physical and cognitive function, minimizing the risk of disease and disability, and continuing engagement with life. He went on to discuss ten more specific ways people can build their resilience to survive challenges to good health. These ten tips may all suggest behavioral changes, but to bring lasting change it is important to set goals in a series of “baby steps” rather than trying to effect radical change in one step. The last of the ten tips is to laugh. Those listening to Roger Landry speak made giant steps toward this goal on the day of his talk as he livened the presentation with amusing anecdotes and comical pictures of animals illustrating many of the ideas. Laughter and enthusiasm to live long abounded as the meeting ended.

The Woods Hole Woman’s Club brings members together to provide enrichment and mutual helpfulness for the betterment of Woods Hole and the surrounding communities. Monthly meetings from October through April include informative presentations, entertainment, and social events. Members raise money for college scholarships and support other community organizations through various club activities. New members are welcomed at any time during the year. Information about membership is available from Susan Houghton at 508-540-0578.