_ Aging WellWatch: 5 Reasons Getting Older Rocks By articleHere's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!
_ Aging WellHelping Us Use Age-Friendly Technologies By articleBoth public and private entities must consider the needs of older adults in order to help them optimize the use of new technologies from smart phones to smart cars, according to the latest issue of Public Policy & Aging Report (PP&AR), entitled “Aging and Technology: The Promise and the Paradox.” A total of eight articles, all from authors affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab, are featured.
Aging Well Beauty & Style ExerciseThe Secrets to Banishing Back Fat By articleBy Soriyya Bawa When it comes to anti-aging fitness, the back area can sometimes be one of the hardest areas to tone. According to anti-aging fitness gurus, a lot of women forget to include the muscles in their upper and middle back in their total body workouts, resulting in poor posture and the visible appearance of back fat. Poor lifestyle habits and ill-fitting clothing often contribute further to the problem.
_ Aging WellMore Proof Protein Is Good as We Age By Sondra Forsyth articleOn March 5th 2014, I posted an item on ThirdAge.com that dealt with the misleading title of a press release that went viral: “Meat and cheese may be as bad as smoking”. The study the release referred to actually showed that for people over 65, animal protein is protective.
_ Aging WellDriving? Better Not Drink -- At All By Jane Farrell articleFor older drivers, as little as one drink may be too much, according to new research. Investigators from the University of Florida analyzed how drinking legally non-intoxicating levels of alcohol affect the driving skills of people aged 25 to 35 and those aged 55 to 70.
_ Aging WellOver 65? High Protein Diet Is Protective By Sondra Forsyth articleThis morning a news release from the University of Southern California entitled “Meat and cheese may be as bad as smoking” hit my inbox. Since then, numerous sites around the web have picked up the eyeball-grabbing headline and the accompanying story. If you encountered any of those posts and you’re over 65, don’t be alarmed and don’t cut back on the percentage of protein you eat.
Aging WellHispanics Live Longer Than Whites By articleOne in every six people in the U.S. is Hispanic/Latino and as a group they live longer than non-Hispanic whites -- 81.4 years vs. 78.8 years. Yet despite their strong representation and relative longevity, little is understood about this group's health conditions and behaviors, according to a release from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of the Yeshiva University in the Bronx, NY.
Aging WellRestoring Strength in Aging Muscles By articleA stem cell based method may restore strength to damaged skeletal muscles of the elderly, according to a study done at the University of Toronto and published in a February 2014 issue of the journal Nature Medicine describes. A release from the university notes that skeletal muscles are some of the most important muscles in the body, supporting functions such as sitting, standing, blinking and swallowing. In aging individuals, the function of these muscles significantly decreases.
Aging WellWith Age, Body Image Gets Better By articleBoomers worry less about their appearance than Gen-Xers or Millenials do, according to a national online survey done by TODAY and AOL in February 2014. The results showed that 35% of Boomers aged 50 to 68 worry that people are judging their appearance, compared to 51% of Gen Xers aged 35 to 49 and 62% of millennials aged 16-34. Also, while 80% of women under age 24 worry about their appearance regularly, that number drops steadily with age. Among those who are 55+, 52% worry about appearance regularly.
_ Aging Well Senior Health Stress Management Stress-Free LivingStress Hormone Linked to Frailty By articleLow levels of cortisol in the morning and high levels in the evening are associated with declining grip strength and walking speed, which are indications of frailty in older adults. That is the finding of research done at Helmholtz Zentrum München in Neuherberg in Germany and published in the March 2014 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
_ Aging WellOlder Women Self-Employed by Necessity By articleOlder women most often turn to self-employment because of financial need while older men typically choose self-employment. That is the sobering but not surprising finding of research done at the University of Missouri in Columbia. The study will be published in the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare in March 2014.
Aging WellAs We Age, Loneliness Is a Major Health Risk By articleFeeling extreme loneliness can increase an older person's chances of premature death by 14 percent. That’s the finding of a team of researchers at the University of Chicago led by by John Cacioppo.
Aging WellRejuvenated Stem Cells Help Aging Muscles Heal By articleResearchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have pinpointed why normal aging is accompanied by a diminished ability to regain strength and mobility after muscle injury: Over time, stem cells within muscle tissues dedicated to repairing damage become less able to generate new muscle fibers and struggle to self-renew.
_ Aging WellWatch: Top 6 Ways to Re-imagine Your Life By articleHere's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!
Aging WellCareBox to Help You Age in Place By articleA highly sensitive alarm unit called the CareBox, which will be available toward the end of 2014, can immediately call family members, neighbors, or caregivers by telephone, cell phone, or the Internet when someone in the home falls or is otherwise in need of assistance. A release from Fraunhofer, the German research company that created the device, notes that an estimated 30 percent of people over 65 years of age lwho live at home fall at least once a year. For those over 80 years old, more than 40 percent take a tumble annually.
_ Aging Well Well-beingFeeling in Control Can Increase Longevity By articlePeople who feel in control and believe they can achieve goals despite hardships are more likely to live longer and healthier lives, especially among those with less education, according to a study by Brandeis University and the University of Rochester and published online in the Journal of Health Psychology. Previous studies have shown that people with a high school diploma or less education tend to die younger than those with a college degree or graduate training. Yet, that’s not a hard and fast rule. Why?
_ Aging WellWatch: Stair Safety Tips for Arthritis Sufferers By Jane Farrell articleHere's another addition to our ThirdAge Video Collection. Press play to start learning!
_ Aging WellEnjoy Life and Be Healthier By Jane Farrell articleWhen it comes to a positive attitude and the quality of life in older age, there really is a connection, according to a new study. Researchers whose findings were published in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) found that the benefits of enjoying life include faster walking speeds and better physical function in daily activities. The investigators looked at 3,199 men and women aged 60 or over who were residents of England.