All articles tagged with #health and aging
Meryl Streep's daily mile-long swimming routine highlights numerous health benefits for aging, including improved cardiovascular health, joint stress reduction, muscle maintenance, brain health, flexibility, and reduced chronic disease risk, demonstrating that consistent, gentle exercise supports healthy aging.
Ednajane 'E.J.' Truax exemplifies a super ager by staying active through gardening, exercising regularly, and maintaining a social life, which research shows can help people thrive into their 80s and 90s.
The article highlights ten key abilities that, if maintained past 65 without assistance, indicate exceptional physical, mental, and emotional health, emphasizing that aging well involves staying active, engaged, and self-reliant. It encourages younger individuals to adopt habits that support healthy aging and celebrates those who thrive in later years.
Robert Fishman, 73, reflects on caring for his 97-year-old mother with dementia, which has led him to contemplate his own mortality and end-of-life choices, including the possibility of euthanasia, while finding solace in his art and family memories.
The article shares insights from a year volunteering at a senior center, highlighting eight often overlooked struggles of aging after 70, including loss of autonomy, technological gaps, shrinking social circles, physical and emotional disconnects, family dynamics, loneliness, invisibility, and mortality, emphasizing the need for greater empathy and understanding as we age.
A study across 27 European countries finds that multilingualism offers protective effects against accelerated aging, with benefits increasing with the number of languages spoken, as shown through cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.
Maintaining mental sharpness after 70 relies on daily habits such as reading and discussing, staying socially connected, learning new skills, staying physically active, challenging oneself mentally, maintaining curiosity, and getting quality sleep. These habits, developed over decades, support cognitive function and can be adopted at any age to promote brain health, emphasizing that mental sharpness is largely within one's control through consistent lifestyle choices.
A study finds that lifelong social advantages, from childhood to adulthood, can slow biological aging and reduce inflammation, highlighting the importance of sustained social connections for health and longevity.
The article highlights Ednajane 'E.J.' Truax, a 'super ager' who defies typical aging challenges through regular physical activity, social engagement, and a positive attitude, exemplifying research that shows staying active is key to thriving into old age.
The article discusses ten common physical and cognitive changes that become nearly impossible after 60, such as reading menus in dim light, getting up from the floor gracefully, hearing conversations, sleeping through the night, and trusting bodily functions, emphasizing that these are normal parts of aging that require adaptation rather than despair, and highlighting the importance of acceptance and adjustment to maintain quality of life.
SuperAgers, individuals over 80 with memory skills comparable to much younger people, tend to live longer and healthier lives, primarily due to their strong social connections and extroverted personalities. These social habits help slow brain aging and reduce risks of diseases like dementia, which is especially significant for Black communities that face higher risks of Alzheimer's. Maintaining social interactions and a positive outlook may be key factors in their longevity and cognitive resilience.
The article outlines nine accessible habits that help seniors over 70 stay mentally sharp and witty, emphasizing curiosity, new experiences, technology use, cross-generational friendships, humor, reading, selective battles, physical activity, and creative pursuits as key to maintaining cognitive vitality and a vibrant life beyond age 70.
The article highlights six simple daily habits—continuous learning, prioritizing relationships, staying active, protecting sleep, engaging with purpose, and letting go of unnecessary commitments—that can help people thrive in their 70s, emphasizing that aging well is about consistent, integrated lifestyle choices rather than extreme measures.
Maintaining the ability to perform eight simple daily tasks—such as getting up from the floor, climbing stairs with groceries, balancing on one foot, opening jars, walking a mile, safely entering a bathtub, trimming toenails, and doing yard work—is a strong indicator of healthy aging and independence after 70. These activities reflect physical strength, balance, flexibility, and mental resilience, emphasizing that consistent movement and engagement are key to aging well.
Decisions made at age 60—such as strength training, maintaining social connections, and engaging in challenging new learning—significantly influence whether you'll thrive or decline by age 80. These choices create a positive or negative cascade affecting mobility, mental sharpness, and social engagement, emphasizing that healthy aging is largely within personal control and should be prioritized now.