Health
11 tips for adults age 65 and over to ‘live well’ over time, according to gerontologists
With the number of Americans over age 65 expected to skyrocket by 47% between 2022 and 2050, there is a growing emphasis on living well — not just long — into the senior years.
Two gerontologists from Home Instead, a national in-home senior care provider owned by Honor Company in San Francisco, shared their top tips for how aging adults can stay healthy and energized.
1. Checkup from the neck up
Lakelyn Eichenberger, PhD, a gerontologist (aging expert) and caregiving advocate based in Omaha, Nebraska, recommends getting a baseline cognitive assessment early on to monitor your cognitive health.
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“Cognitive exams are included as part of the Medicare wellness visit for those over 65,” she shared with Fox News Digital.
With the number of Americans over age 65 expected to skyrocket by 47% between 2022 and 2050, there’s a growing emphasis on living well into the senior years. (iStock)
“Even if you have no current concerns about your cognition, having a baseline and normalizing the conversation with your health care provider can open doors if issues arise down the road.”
2. Volunteer and give back
Engaging in volunteer activities can provide a sense of fulfillment and purpose, and it can also promote longevity, according to Eichenberger.
“Giving back can lift your mood, knowing you’re making a difference in others’ lives.”
“The connections made through volunteering offer important social outlets and opportunities to form new friendships,” she said.
“Giving back can lift your mood, knowing you’re making a difference in others’ lives.”
3. Stay social
Jenny Munro, MA, a Nebraska-based gerontologist, emphasized the importance of older adults having an active social life and cultivating quality relationships.
“Make a point of connecting regularly with relatives, friends and neighbors,” she recommended in an email to Fox News Digital.
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It can be helpful to maintain social connections with people of different generations, both older and younger, Munro advised.
“Volunteer at a school or community center,” she suggested. “Focus on the relationships and activities that you enjoy the most.”
4. Never stop moving
Adults age 65 and over should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
They should also participate in at least two days of strength-training exercises and balance-improving movements, the agency recommends.
Adults age 65 and over should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week, according to the CDC. (iStock)
“You don’t need to go to a gym every day, but you do have to move,” Munro said. “Movement can include going for a walk, gardening and climbing stairs.”
Walking a mile is good for you, she said — and walking fast for a mile is better, as it will raise the heart rate.
“Movement is essential for vitality,” Munro noted. “If you haven’t been exercising, starting today can significantly protect your brain later. It’s never too late.”
5. Learn and stay curious
“Adopt a learner’s mindset and follow your curiosity,” Eichenberger said. “Mental stimulation is beneficial for brain health and comes in many forms.”
“Be open to new experiences and maintain curiosity about the world, leading to a more engaged and fulfilling life.”
The expert suggests engaging in activities that challenge the brain, such as completing puzzles, reading, learning new skills or playing musical instruments.
“Be open to new experiences and maintain curiosity about the world, leading to a more engaged and fulfilling life,” she advised.
6. Get proper nutrition
To manage healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels, Munro recommends eating a high-nutrient diet that’s rich in whole grains, vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, berries and fish — and low in red meat, butter and sweets.
“When you eat a rainbow of vegetables, you eat a more diverse array of nutrients, many of them brain-friendly antioxidants,” an expert advised. (iStock)
“Eat a wide variety of different colored vegetables,” she said. “When you eat a rainbow of vegetables, you eat a more diverse array of nutrients, many of them brain-friendly antioxidants.”
The expert also recommends preparing meals at home, as this allows more control over the salt, sugar and fat content than buying prepared meals or food from restaurants.
7. Manage caregiving stressors
Many family members become caregivers for an aging parent or loved one at some point.
“While caregiving can be rewarding, it can also cause stress and put you at risk of burnout,” Eichenberger told Fox News Digital.
“Long-term stress hormones like cortisol can negatively affect health.”
Finding ways to effectively manage stress can benefit the aging journey, the doctor said.
“Use resources like home care or respite care to provide breaks from the caregiving role, allowing you to refresh, recharge and tend to your own needs,” she suggested.
8. Prioritize sleep
Losing sleep will have both short- and long-term consequences on your health, according to Munro.
“During slumber, your brain clears away toxic waste that builds up early in the development of Alzheimer’s disease,” she said.
To ensure adequate sleep, an expert recommends sticking to a schedule, waking up to early morning light, eliminating electronics before bed, and sleeping in a cool, quiet and dark place. (iStock)
“The body also heals tissues, strengthens memory and even grows during sleep.”
To ensure adequate sleep, Munro recommends sticking to a schedule, waking up to early morning light, eliminating electronics before bed, and sleeping in a cool, quiet and dark place.
9. Cultivate a positive attitude
Fostering a positive outlook on life has been linked to better health outcomes and longevity, according to Eichenberger.
“Embrace aging and lean into the wisdom and experience you’ve gathered over your lifetime,” she advised.
10. Maintain a sense of purpose
“A sense of purpose means that you see life as having meaning, a sense of direction and goals to live for,” Munro said — something she calls “active aging.”
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Staying engaged in a job, especially one that’s satisfying, tends to keep people physically active, socially connected and mentally challenged, Munro said, which helps to protect cognition.
“Embrace aging and lean into the wisdom and experience you’ve gathered over your lifetime.”
“Delay retirement as long as possible. And when you retire, don’t quit on life,” she suggested.
“Find activities that are joyful and stimulating. There’s power to maintaining a sense of purpose by continuing to learn, discover and complete complex tasks.”
11. Plan ahead to age your way
Think about where and how you want to age, Eichenberger advised.
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“Consider your living environment and how you can make modifications to ensure it’s suitable for aging in place,” she suggested.
“Also, think about the support you might need to age on your own terms.”
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An accidental lab discovery has opened the door to entirely new ways of preventing the flu.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells, SWNS reported.
By targeting the specific molecules the viruses rely on, scientists found that they could block them from entering new cells and halt their replication altogether.
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Researchers say these “fundamental insights” into seasonal influenza highlight a clear path toward developing better preventive medications.
“The hope is that fundamental, curiosity-based research like this helps to pave the way for novel strategies to treat and prevent influenza infections,” principal investigator Dr. Emily Bruce, from the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine, said in the SWNS report.
While investigating how influenza replicates, researchers discovered that different flu strains use completely different strategies to infiltrate human cells. (iStock)
While several flu strains cause illness, H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A viruses are the most common. However, current flu tests cannot differentiate between them, and clinical treatments are identical for both.
Although vaccines and antivirals are available, Bruce noted a “dire” need for better medications to stop the virus from spreading cell to xxcell.
“You don’t get sick when a virus is in one cell,” he noted. “You get sick because a virus replicates itself and goes into many more cells.”
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The study, which was published in The Journal of Virology, originally aimed to map how viral RNA segments are transported within cells to create new viral particles.
The team used H1N1 and H3N2 viruses isolated from the nasal passages of positive patients in 2022.
Clinical treatments remain identical for both primary strains of the flu virus. (iStock)
During the investigation, the team unexpectedly stumbled upon a cellular pathway that blocked the virus from entering lung cells, SWNS reported.
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The data revealed that when a specific human protein called Rab11B was depleted, H3N2 viruses failed to enter human lung cells. H1N1 viruses were completely unaffected.
Using reverse genetics, the team mapped this defect and uncovered a brand-new, H3N2-specific role for Rab11B during viral entry.
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This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way.
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“Viruses are like pirates from different countries hijacking someone’s ship,” Bruce said. “Different viruses, like different types of pirates, use different methods to get onboard.”
This discovery challenged the scientific assumption that all flu viruses enter cells the same way. (iStock)
“We had previously thought that all flu viruses used the same way to get into a cell, but we discovered that this is not true,” she went on. “H1N1 and H3N2 need different proteins to get in, and if you get rid of the right protein, a specific virus can’t get in.”
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While these findings identify a critical cellular pathway for viral entry, the study was conducted using isolated cells, the researchers acknowledged.
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Further research is needed to determine whether blocking the protein is safe and effective within a live, complex human respiratory system.
Bruce and the team hope to conduct further research to determine whether this Rab11B-dependency is a fundamental property of H3N2, or if it’s a trait unique to currently circulating flu strains.
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Eating processed meat like ham, sausage and bacon may be linked to a higher risk of certain types of cancer, according to new research.
While health organizations have already confirmed that processed meat can contribute to colon cancer, this study looked closer at cancers in the upper digestive tract, where the link has historically been less clear.
To understand these connections, researchers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), one of the world’s largest long-term nutrition and cancer cohorts, tracked the health and diets of 450,112 people across Europe for an average of 14 years.
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The study group included 131,426 men and 318,686 women, according to the study’s press release.
During the follow-up period, 876 people developed stomach cancer and 215 people developed esophageal adenocarcinoma, which is cancer of the tube connecting the mouth to the stomach.
For female participants, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk of developing the disease. (iStock)
Researchers tracked where the stomach cancers grew, separating them into the upper part of the stomach near the throat and the lower part of the stomach.
The researchers also sorted the tumors into two categories based on how the cancer cells appeared under a microscope: intestinal, which forms more organized structures, and diffuse, in which the cells are more scattered throughout the tissue.
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After adjusting for other lifestyle factors, the researchers found that for every extra 30 grams of processed meat a person ate per day, their overall risk of stomach cancer went up by 9%. Eating that same extra 30 grams a day was also linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma.
A standard single slice of regular deli-sliced ham or lunch meat averages around 28 grams, according to USDA data and nutritional tracking databases.
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken and turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach. (iStock)
An extra 20 grams of white meat, such as chicken or turkey, was linked to a 12% higher risk of cancer in the main body of the stomach, the researchers noted.
The study also revealed differences between men and women. For male participants, only processed meat showed a clear, statistically significant link to a higher risk of stomach cancer. For female participants, however, eating both processed meat and white meat was linked to an increased risk.
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These findings align with global health benchmarks, particularly those established by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
The agency has long classified processed meat as a known human carcinogen, primarily due to its strong, well-documented links to colorectal cancer.
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However, health organizations have also consistently pointed to a potential, yet less definitive, relationship between these meats and cancers of the stomach.
Eating 30 grams of processed meat a day, or the equivalent to one slice of ham, was linked to a 13% higher risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. (iStock)
Further scientific investigation is needed to confirm the findings and to account for other underlying risk factors, such as certain stomach infections, which could interact with dietary habits.
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A key limitation of the study is its reliance on self-reported diets, which can sometimes lead to inaccuracies in how participants recall their meat consumption over time, the researchers noted.
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The findings were published in the International Journal of Cancer.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers requesting comment.
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