Last month, I did a radio show in which we discussed some reasons to work after the age of 60. I used my own experience starting a new career at 65 as an example and then described some of the benefits from research. The gist was that staying active and engaged did more to help people age well than staying home …
I loved the article “Keep Your Focus” in this month’s AARP Bulletin. We’ve been constantly told how younger minds have the advantage because they process information faster. But there’s good news for those of us who grew up before computers and smartphones became ubiquitous. By encountering that technology later, we’ve been able to preserve mental skills that younger people struggle to …
Some people mistakenly assume that because I give wellness workshops and lead exercise classes that I am always behaving in healthy ways. It just isn’t so. Like many others, I have my good days and my not-so-good ones. I strive to do most things right but every now and then, I slip up. If I am mindful of what I’m doing, …
Last week in one of my wellness classes, we had a physical therapist come in to demonstrate some techniques for getting up from a fall. Before she left, she had volunteers sit in a chair, cross their arms over their chest, and then stand. The challenge was to sit, stand fully, and sit back down as many times as possible in …
A survey of AARP members shows that 87% of people 50 and older are very concerned about keeping their mental abilities. If that includes you, there’s hope. First, a recent study shows that the overall number of cases of dementia (including Alzheimer’s) in the 65-plus population dropped from 11.9% in 2000 to 8.8% in 2012. Second, there are things you can …
It’s a natural response after you’ve been hurt to take time to heal. But too much of a good thing can be bad for you. Whether it’s a knee injury or a lost job, there’s a time to rest and a time to push on. On the rare occasion that I come down with the flu, I like spending a few days …
Did you know that your hand grip strength is an indicator of future disability? Flipping through a journal of gerontology, I found an article describing an interesting experiment. Many studies show that how a person thinks or feels about age actually impacts their health. This study was unusual in that it had mostly female participants. And the results were encouraging. The …
A family member recently made the shift from working in cold Indiana to retiring in sunny Nevada. A lot of people move to a warmer climate when they retire. After years of shoveling snow they look forward to enjoying better weather year ‘round. Each of us deserves to find the living environment that best suits us—now and in the future. As …
Too often I hear people say things like “It hurts, but what can I expect at my age?” Friends may complain that they can no longer walk or dance or hike or whatever as much or as fast as they used to, and they assume it has to do with getting older. But that’s not always the case. Not long ago, …
It can be scary to grow old when you have depression. Being susceptible to sudden bouts of sadness or hopelessness is hard enough at any age. But when they occur alongside deteriorating health and concerns about an uncertain future, the combination can be crippling. Research shows that in general, older adults are happier than young adults. The lifelong prevalence of good …
