Aging Well
Word's out....Boomers have "redefined aging" taking it from something to dread, to a life-stage to embrace, enjoy, live proudly. In fact, according to a recent Marist Poll on aging, 6 out of 10 adults nationally consider age 63 to be middle-aged. That's a big change from even one generation ago, when people in their 60's were more likely to be considered "old".
From Hollywood - where for the first time in its history older actors are not only still working, but starring in films as romantic leads - to Everytown USA where at mid-age we're pursuing new lives not early-bird specials - we are truly making mid & later years "the best years of our lives".
From Hollywood - where for the first time in its history older actors are not only still working, but starring in films as romantic leads - to Everytown USA where at mid-age we're pursuing new lives not early-bird specials - we are truly making mid & later years "the best years of our lives".
Thoughts on why youth is vastly overrated....
Yes...what you'll find below are generalizations that don't apply to all at the two age levels, but this is by design, to bring into focus the real differences between older & younger - to counter the gross generalizations of our "youth culture" that we hear, and too often believe, based on the false premise that younger is better.
Mid-age & up
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Youth (under 40)
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8 Tips for Healthy Aging
by Rachael Rettner & Remy Melina in MyHealthNewsDaily
Growing old doesn't have to bring disability and disease. Here are eight tips from experts on how to stay healthier, stronger and happier in your golden years.
#1: It's never too late...
...to start leading a healthier lifestyle. Even well into their 60s and 70s, adults can take action to reduce their risk of developing chronic disease.
"I think the old myth was somehow after age 60, 65 there's just nothing you can do anymore," said Margaret Moore, a public health advisor for the CDC's Healthy Aging Program.
#2: Amp up your fitness
If there's one step you should take for improving your health and helping you steer clear of chronic disease, it's exercise, experts say. And it really is never too late to start.
"I have known patients who have started exercising in their 70s and reaped great benefits from it," said geriatrician Carmel B. Dyer, who is director of the Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Exercise helps control body weight, lower your blood pressure and strengthen your muscles, which helps you avoid injuries by making you less likely to fall. And an increase in muscle mass helps your body metabolize drugs more like a young person does, Dyer said, which means medicines can be cleared from the body more effectively. Physical activity has also been linked to a decreased risk of dementia, she said.
Older adults need not join a gym or suffer through rigorous workouts. Milder activities such as walking, gardening or anything to keep moving would be sufficient, CDC's Moore said.
#3: Stay limber
Daily stretching is important, Dyer said. Your muscles tend to shorten and stiffen when you aren't active, but stretching activities such as yoga will improve your flexibility. "You wouldn’t think that five minutes of stretching in the morning would be all that helpful to you in old age, but it's extremely helpful," she said.
#4: Manage your weight
Sticking to a healthy weight by exercising and eating right has multiple benefits, studies show. If you can keep your weight down, you'll decrease your risk of diabetes, which affects about 23.3 million Americans, as well as certain types of arthritis, which hinders activity for about 19 million Americans, according to the CDC. One way to eat better is to eat more fruits and vegetables every day.
"It's one of the simplest things people can do to transform their health and their lives," said Katherine Tallmadge, a registered dietitian in Washington, D.C.
#5: An ounce of prevention
Preventive measures, such as getting a yearly flu shot and getting screened for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers, are also important for growing old gracefully.
Keeping an eye on other disease indicators, such as high blood pressure and the early stages of diabetes, can also make a difference in terms of the degree of disability people experience later in life.
#6: Stay spiritual or optimistic
Attending religious services and having a generally sunny outlook on life have been linked to longer, healthier lives. For instance, a 2006 study found that regular church attendance can add 1.8 to 3.1 years to your life.
Decreased stress levels, from spiritual activities such as meditation, may be partly responsible for the health benefit, Dyer said. A slew of studies also suggest that optimistic people live longer and are less likely to develop certain chronic conditions such as heart disease. (see the latest below)
#7: Volunteer to help others
University of Michigan researchers followed a random sample of 10,317 Wisconsin high school students from their graduation in 1957 until the present. In 2004, the participants reported how often they had volunteered within the past 10 years. They also explained their reasons for volunteering.
The findings showed that those who volunteered out of a desire to help others had lower mortality rates than people who volunteered for selfish reasons or did not volunteer at all.
#8: Have a cocktail - particularly women!
For middle-age women, having one alcoholic drink a day may improve health and pave the way to a long life, a new study shows. Research from the Harvard School of Public Health included a look at the Nurses' Health Study, which has been ongoing since 1976 and involves 121,700 women nurses. Researchers examined the health status of the 13,984 women in the study who lived to be 70 or older.
The results showed that women who had an occasional drink, up to one per day, of any alcoholic beverage during middle age had better overall health when they grew older than women who did not drink at all, those who consumed more than two drinks a day, and those who had four drinks or more at one time.
More on healthy aging for women
#1: It's never too late...
...to start leading a healthier lifestyle. Even well into their 60s and 70s, adults can take action to reduce their risk of developing chronic disease.
"I think the old myth was somehow after age 60, 65 there's just nothing you can do anymore," said Margaret Moore, a public health advisor for the CDC's Healthy Aging Program.
#2: Amp up your fitness
If there's one step you should take for improving your health and helping you steer clear of chronic disease, it's exercise, experts say. And it really is never too late to start.
"I have known patients who have started exercising in their 70s and reaped great benefits from it," said geriatrician Carmel B. Dyer, who is director of the Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Exercise helps control body weight, lower your blood pressure and strengthen your muscles, which helps you avoid injuries by making you less likely to fall. And an increase in muscle mass helps your body metabolize drugs more like a young person does, Dyer said, which means medicines can be cleared from the body more effectively. Physical activity has also been linked to a decreased risk of dementia, she said.
Older adults need not join a gym or suffer through rigorous workouts. Milder activities such as walking, gardening or anything to keep moving would be sufficient, CDC's Moore said.
#3: Stay limber
Daily stretching is important, Dyer said. Your muscles tend to shorten and stiffen when you aren't active, but stretching activities such as yoga will improve your flexibility. "You wouldn’t think that five minutes of stretching in the morning would be all that helpful to you in old age, but it's extremely helpful," she said.
#4: Manage your weight
Sticking to a healthy weight by exercising and eating right has multiple benefits, studies show. If you can keep your weight down, you'll decrease your risk of diabetes, which affects about 23.3 million Americans, as well as certain types of arthritis, which hinders activity for about 19 million Americans, according to the CDC. One way to eat better is to eat more fruits and vegetables every day.
"It's one of the simplest things people can do to transform their health and their lives," said Katherine Tallmadge, a registered dietitian in Washington, D.C.
#5: An ounce of prevention
Preventive measures, such as getting a yearly flu shot and getting screened for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers, are also important for growing old gracefully.
Keeping an eye on other disease indicators, such as high blood pressure and the early stages of diabetes, can also make a difference in terms of the degree of disability people experience later in life.
#6: Stay spiritual or optimistic
Attending religious services and having a generally sunny outlook on life have been linked to longer, healthier lives. For instance, a 2006 study found that regular church attendance can add 1.8 to 3.1 years to your life.
Decreased stress levels, from spiritual activities such as meditation, may be partly responsible for the health benefit, Dyer said. A slew of studies also suggest that optimistic people live longer and are less likely to develop certain chronic conditions such as heart disease. (see the latest below)
#7: Volunteer to help others
University of Michigan researchers followed a random sample of 10,317 Wisconsin high school students from their graduation in 1957 until the present. In 2004, the participants reported how often they had volunteered within the past 10 years. They also explained their reasons for volunteering.
The findings showed that those who volunteered out of a desire to help others had lower mortality rates than people who volunteered for selfish reasons or did not volunteer at all.
#8: Have a cocktail - particularly women!
For middle-age women, having one alcoholic drink a day may improve health and pave the way to a long life, a new study shows. Research from the Harvard School of Public Health included a look at the Nurses' Health Study, which has been ongoing since 1976 and involves 121,700 women nurses. Researchers examined the health status of the 13,984 women in the study who lived to be 70 or older.
The results showed that women who had an occasional drink, up to one per day, of any alcoholic beverage during middle age had better overall health when they grew older than women who did not drink at all, those who consumed more than two drinks a day, and those who had four drinks or more at one time.
More on healthy aging for women
Optimism & Successful Aging: An Article from eScience News
Traditionally, aging has been viewed as a period of progressive decline in physical, cognitive and psychosocial functioning, and aging is viewed by many as the "number one public health problem" facing Americans today.
But this negative view of aging contrasts with results of a comprehensive study of 1,006 older adults in San Diego by researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Stanford University. Results of the Successful Aging Evaluation (SAGE) study... published in the December 7 online issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
...The study concludes that resilience and depression have significant bearing on how individuals self-rate successful aging, with effects that are comparable to that of physical health. "Even though older age was closely associated with worse physical and cognitive functioning, it was also related to better mental functioning," said co-author Colin Depp, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
After adjusting for age, a higher self-rating of successful aging was associated with higher education, better cognitive function, better perceived physical and mental health, less depression, and greater optimism and resilience.
Read the whole article
But this negative view of aging contrasts with results of a comprehensive study of 1,006 older adults in San Diego by researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Stanford University. Results of the Successful Aging Evaluation (SAGE) study... published in the December 7 online issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
...The study concludes that resilience and depression have significant bearing on how individuals self-rate successful aging, with effects that are comparable to that of physical health. "Even though older age was closely associated with worse physical and cognitive functioning, it was also related to better mental functioning," said co-author Colin Depp, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
After adjusting for age, a higher self-rating of successful aging was associated with higher education, better cognitive function, better perceived physical and mental health, less depression, and greater optimism and resilience.
Read the whole article
