In Pursuit of the Fountain of Youth by Elvira Maricic As lifespans increase, ensuring quality of life becomes all the more challenging print article      send to a friend

At age 73, Madeline Mayhew is still kicking. Literally. The petite Lakewood, Ohio, septuagenarian belongs to the North Coast Follies, a troupe that puts on monthly Vaudeville-style revues for senior citizens and allows her to kick it up in weekly rehearsals of dances such as the Can-Can. In addition, Ms. Mayhew recently returned from a tour of Italy and is already planning her next vacation, all of this while holding down a part-time job in the mail division of a large bank, a position that requires a significant amount of physical exertion. "I'm too busy to slow down," she says.

So why is she in such great shape while many of her peers are in nursing homes? Has she found the fountain of youth? Maybe. "I take my vitamins, I see the doctor regularly and have tests done, including the bone density test," she says. Plus, she doesn't smoke, and you'll never see her gorging on junk food. "Also, I've always been active, even as a child," she says. "If you don't use it, you'll lose it, you know." She is definitely onto something.

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