Fitness

Staying fit as you age isn't just about exercise. Experts say to prioritize these 4 habits

Published

5 months ago

September 1, 2024

Staying fit as you age isn't just about exercise. Experts say to prioritize these 4 habits

Dr. Bill Dorfman, a 64-year-old cosmetic dentist in Southern California, prides himself on looking years younger, a characteristic he attributes to good genes and a daily workout regimen.

Three days a week he focuses on abs and cardio; the other days are for lifting light weights at high reps.

Dorfman says he got serious about exercise following a lull during dental school when he found himself frequently in pain. That’s when he realized his fitness had taken a back seat following years as a high school swimmer and gymnast. “What I found was the more I exercised, the better I felt,” he says.

Outside of the gym, he credits his daily Words With Friends habit with keeping his mind sharp. He also makes nightly dinner plans with various friends to stay connected.

Dorfman’s wellness habits underscore that one key to a longer life is a fitness regimen—but one that incorporates mental and emotional fitness as well.

“We really need to look at the life of an older adult with a holistic lens—if they’re really happy, healthy and whole,” says Dor Skuler, cofounder and CEO of Intuition Robotics and an expert on loneliness in aging adults.

Here’s are four ways to focus on whole-body fitness as you age.

1. Exercise for the body and brain

Staying physically active can prevent injuries and help the body heal faster when they happen, plus it’s also strongly linked to good mental health and brain function.

Kirk Erickson, Ph.D., director of Translational Neurosciences at AdventHealth Central Florida, where he studies the plasticity and modifiability of the brain systems, has found physical activity to be one of the best ways to keep the brain healthy throughout its life span.

Erickson’s research shows that as we age, the brain shrinks, specifically the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory formation. Exercise can help maintain this portion of the brain and, in some cases, increase the size. There’s much to be learned about how and why this is, but Erickson says the effects are better the longer you engage in these habits, so it’s good to start young.

Of course you can still reap the benefits if you start later in life, he says. You might find that with time, you can recall memories and information more easily and have better executive function and a longer attention span when your brain is at its best, he says.

He recommends moderate exercise, like walking, five days a week for 30 minutes.

Aside from walking, Dr. Gary Small, chair of psychiatry at Hackensack Meridian Health, says strength training helps combat age-related muscle loss and can lead to a longer life span. Additionally, balance exercises can help prevent slips and falls—the leading cause of injuries in adults ages 65 and older.

Jasmine Marcus, a physical therapist at Cayuga Medical Center at Ithaca, where she works with patients of all ages and physical activity levels, recommends tiptoeing into exercise if you’re new to it. She suggests starting with some kind of group fitness class like Zumba—anything that elevates your heart rate. It helps, too, if you have a partner to hold you accountable, she says.

2. Strive for mental fitness

Small also recommends doing activities that keep the brain in shape. One study showed the simple act of reading articles online and searching topics on Google offered valuable mental stimulation. Doing crossword puzzles, reading books, playing games, practicing hobbies, and daydreaming all contribute to mental sharpness.

Stress management is also a critical part of maintaining mental fitness. Just 10 minutes of meditation a day can improve mood and cognitive agility, says Small, rewiring the brain and strengthening neural circuits.

“You don’t have to go to a retreat in Nepal or India to meditate, but you can learn the skills,” he says.

3. Stay social

The U.S. surgeon general issued an advisory last year warning of the nation’s loneliness epidemic, which negatively impacts health. One study equated lack of social connection to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Other studies show social connection reduces the risk of premature death. It’s clear that social and emotional fitness is key to aging well.

Skuler, whose company makes A.I.-powered social companions for aging adults aimed at keeping them active and engaged, says major life changes, such as the death of a spouse, often trigger loneliness.

“That is by far a watershed moment,” he says. Suddenly no one is asking how you slept or what you have planned for the day. A similar problem happens with asynchronous aging, where one spouse has a decline with dementia, for example. Other events such as retiring or sending the kids off to college might have similar impacts on social well-being, Skuler says.

ElliQ, the robot companions Skuler’s company makes, is one way to help aging adults stay connected, but he encourages all people to maintain friendships and relationships with family members. Volunteering, he says, can also add purpose and connection to your life.

4. Develop good sleep hygiene

There’s a myth that seniors need less sleep as they age, but Jamie Zeitzer, Ph.D., advisor and scientific reviewer at Rise Science, says the reality is sleep becomes more difficult with age. The result is that many seniors find themselves going to bed later and rising earlier.

“Humans are programmed to stay awake 16 [hours] and sleep eight hours,” he says. “An older person’s ability to do that diminishes, so they have to work a little harder at it.”

The causes for poor sleep can be both social and physical. We become more sensitive to sounds and temperatures as we age, says Zeitzer. So the garbage truck that never woke you on its weekly route might now rouse you at 6 a.m., he says. Similarly, a bedroom that’s too hot or cold might make it difficult to sleep.

As we age we also become more sensitive to caffeine. So if you used to be able to drink a cup of coffee in the evening, you could find you now have trouble falling asleep hours later.

There’s also a major shift that happens once we retire, when the social constraints around sleep are suddenly lifted. Seniors who don’t have social obligations early in the morning might find they’re less inclined to sleep at typical hours. A nap during the day, for example, may “cannibalize their sleep at night,” Zeitzer says.

Older adults might find that sleeping too little or having a fragmented night of sleep can lead to acute problems with cognition the following day, Zeitzer adds. Poor sleep over the long term is linked to health conditions including depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.

A good routine can solve some sleep problems. To start, avoid caffeine later in the day. And be mindful that you adjust the temperature in your sleep environment to encourage rest.

And he recommends finding a way to wind down before bed. While some experts warn against the use of electronics before you grab some shut-eye, Zeitzer says watching a TV show can be helpful if it means you feel more relaxed and ready for bed afterward.

“It’s always good to aspire to closing your eyes and falling asleep, but other people need more kinds of wind-down routines,” he says.

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Fitness

Can a

Published

6 hours ago

January 19, 2025

Press Room

Exercising regularly is important for preventing dementia. But if it’s hard to rack up the recommended amount of activity during the five-day work week (150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, like brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, like swimming), consider the “weekend warrior” approach — fitting it all into one or two weekly sessions. The approach might offer the same brain health benefits, according to a study published online Oct. 29, 2024, by the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Researchers analyzed the health and self-reported activity information of more than 10,000 dementia-free people in Mexico who were followed for about 16 years. After accounting for factors that could influence the results, such as lifestyle habits, scientists found that weekend warriors were 13% less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to dementia, compared with people who didn’t exercise — about the same benefit seen in those who exercised during the work week. While the study was observational and can’t prove cause and effect, it supports the idea that even less frequent exercise might help protect brain health, and it might be a more convenient option for busy people.

Image: © Luis Alvarez/Getty Images

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Fitness

Fitness face-off – Harvard Health

Published

14 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

What’s in style? The question doesn’t just relate to fashion. Indeed, even exercise styles go in and out of vogue, echoing trends fueled by social media and other cultural drivers.

Case in point: high-intensity bursts of exercise have grabbed headlines over the past couple of years, with scientists generating an array of studies examining the health benefits of short spurts of movement lasting from one to three minutes. That might consist of jumping jacks, lunges, running in place, jumping rope, air boxing, running up stairs, or any other high-intensity activity.

Meanwhile, plenty of research continues to focus on the health advantages of moderate-intensity, continuous movement. Mainstay choices for these sessions include brisk walking, cycling, jogging, and elliptical and treadmill use.

Given the swings in popularity between the differently paced alternatives, perhaps the most pressing question is which one is better for us. It might seem certain exercise patterns might prove superior to others, but we should resist the temptation to believe that, says Dr. Meagan Wasfy, a sports cardiologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

“There are always trends, and each one claims to be the latest and best way to move your body,” Dr. Wasfy says.

Breaking down the data

What health benefits does each approach offer? A sampling of recent studies and official health guidance weighs in.

Evidence supporting exercise bursts includes the following:

A 2022 analysis of data collected on more than 25,200 people who didn’t otherwise exercise (average age 62, 56% women) published in Nature Medicine found that those who routinely did brief bursts of vigorous activity — defined as three bouts, each lasting a minute or two — had significantly lower odds of dying or developing cardiovascular disease over the following seven years than participants who didn’t.
A 2023 analysis in JAMA Oncology of more than 22,000 people who didn’t exercise (average age 62, 55% women) suggested that even short, intermittent periods of intense movement — a minute at a time, three or four times a day — was linked with 18% lower cancer risk over the following 6.7 years, especially for cancers of the breast, uterus, or colon.

Evidence supporting longer, moderate-intensity exercise includes the following:

Adults who do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous exercise derive health benefits, including reducing their risks of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer, according to the CDC.
A 2022 analysis in JAMA Internal Medicine involving 78,000 people (average age 61, 55% women) found their risk of heart disease, cancer, and premature death dropped by 10% over the following seven years for every 2,000 steps they logged each day, with the benefit peaking at 10,000 steps.

Sense a theme from the findings? Regardless of intensity, it’s apparent that any movement is good for your health.

“No one comes out ahead with regards to the long-term outcomes,” Dr. Wasfy says. “What matters most is moving your body and doing more of it. The sum of movement, over the course of a year or decades of your life, is what matters.”

Exercise caveats

One clear advantage to exercise bursts — or its cousin, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) — is that any high-intensity activity enables you to fulfill recommended exercise guidelines in less time. Health organizations advise adults to get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (or some equivalent combination of the two) per week. For an HIIT workout, you alternate vigorous, short sprints with brief periods of rest or lower-intensity movement.

“It’s a time-efficient way to get your recommended exercise dose in less time,” Dr. Wasfy says.

High-intensity exercise does pose a few drawbacks, however. These include a greater risk of injuries and inflammation to joints and muscles. Additionally, for people with heart disease or its risk factors, sudden bursts of exercise could be more likely to bring on new cardiac symptoms.

“If you’re writing an exercise prescription not knowing anything about someone’s health history, you’d write it for moderate-intensity, continuous exercise,” Dr. Wasfy says.

If you’d like to increase your exercise intensity but have existing heart disease — or symptoms such as chest pain with vigorous movement — talk to your doctor in advance. Older adults who’ve noticed their ability to exercise has declined should also speak up.

Ultimately, Dr. Wasfy says, you should choose a style of exercise you really like — and will do consistently — and disregard fitness trends. “If you’re healthy,” she says, “it’s really your choice.”

Image: © Luis Alvarez/Getty Images

Fitness

Amitabh Bachchan’s diet and workout routine for staying fit at 82: Pranayam, yoga stretches, gooseberry juice and more

Published

22 hours ago

January 18, 2025

Press Room

Amitabh Bachchan’s diet and workout routine for staying fit at 82: Pranayam, yoga stretches, gooseberry juice and more

Amitabh Bachchan is a living legend whose popularity surpasses that of his contemporaries. At 82, his unmatched energy and commitment to fitness continue to inspire generations. Despite facing severe health challenges like tuberculosis, his disciplined lifestyle has helped him stand tall and active in the industry. Curious to know the secret behind his fitness? Let’s dive into the insights of Amitabh Bachchan’s diet plan and workout routine. (Also read: Sonu Sood shares his diet and fitness secrets for toned body at 51: ‘I’ve never tasted non-veg and I don’t drink’ )

Check out Amitabh Bachchan’s rigorous fitness routine and healthy diet choices.(Instagram)

How Amitabh Bachchan stays fit at 82

Earlier, in an interview with Humans of Bombay, Amitabh Bachchan’s wellness trainer Vrindaa Mehta revealed the actor’s unwavering dedication to fitness. She shared, “If Amitabh Bachchan can make time to exercise, normal people can too. The mindset is, when you know something is good for you, you just do it. It’s not about comfort, it’s not about not having time… If Mr. Bachchan can make time to exercise, regular people can of course, take out time to exercise.”

Talking about his fitness routine, Vrindaa added, “My sessions with Amit ji are more about breath work. We start off with basic breath exercises and move on to pranayams, and basic yoga stretches. Mindset… He’s the father of it all.”

Wellness trainer Shivohaam, who also works with Amitabh, highlighted the actor’s remarkable commitment to fitness. “There are times when we have to tell him, ‘Let’s not train right now, it’s not ideal for you.’ The point is, he does take out the time, whether it’s morning, afternoon, or evening, or even between meetings because he knows it’s important,” shared Shivohaam.

Amitabh Bachchan’s diet secrets

Amitabh Bachchan’s diet revolves around discipline and variety. In one of his blog posts, the veteran actor shared that he begins his day with tulsi leaves, followed by a breakfast featuring items like protein shakes, almonds, porridge, or coconut water. Other favourites include gooseberry juice and dates, providing a power-packed start to his mornings with a mix of healthy nuts and proteins.

When discussing his eating habits, Big B revealed, “In my youth, I would eat, but now I have left eating non-veg dishes, sweet items, rice, and won’t speak any further.” Skipping desserts and limiting sugar intake have been significant lifestyle changes that help him maintain his fitness and avoid risks like obesity.