Healthy Aging Archive

Your health can go downhill after you lose your driving skills. Here's how to stay behind the wheel as long as possible.

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One of the best ways to stay healthy is to keep driving. "Driving makes you more independent so you can get out of the house more to socialize, visit your doctor more often, go exercise, or simply enjoy the outside," says Dr. Anthony Zizza, a gerontologist with Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Losing the ability to drive can have the opposite effect. Research published online Jan. 19, 2016, by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society reviewed health-related data for drivers 55 and older and noted that their health worsened after they stopped driving.

Stay ahead of age-related changes in thinking skills by making the most of your brain's memory process.

We all have moments of forgetfulness about where we put the keys, why we walked into a room, or what an object is called. Most likely, this reflects age-related changes in thinking skills. "In terms of brain function, everyone has a decline over time in all areas, with the exception of vocabulary," says Dr. Joel Salinas, a neurologist specializing in behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

How memory works

Memory involves three processes: encoding, recording, and retrieval. The brain receives and encodes (takes in) new information; the brain then records (stores) the information; finally, the brain retrieves information when you need it.

Evidence suggests that the vestibular system in the inner ear—which helps detect motion and maintain balance—starts to decline early in middle age and gets worse with each decade.

An increasing array of nonsurgical products and procedures aim to reduce the effects of time and sun exposure.

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It's often said that our lives are written on our faces. But if you feel like doing a little editing—erasing a few fine lines, softening a deep furrow, or evening out some patchy spots—there's an increasing array of products and procedures to help rejuvenate skin worn by time and sun exposure. "When it comes to skin treatments, there's lots of good news in therapies for medical conditions as well as cosmetic concerns," says Dr. Kenneth Arndt, adjunct professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and medical editor of the Harvard Special Health Report Skin Care and Repair.

A growing population of healthy, active older women who want to look as young as they feel has spurred the development of skin rejuvenation techniques that are more subtle and have much shorter recovery times than facelifts. "It's important to choose your treatments with care and to check and double-check the reputation and accreditation of clinicians performing invasive skin procedures," Dr. Arndt says. You may want to consult a dermatologist to weigh the possible risks and likely benefits of various treatments. Cosmetic procedures aren't covered by insurance, so cost might also be an important factor in choosing a skin rejuvenation procedure.

This old-school exercise offers a real-time assessment of your strength and motivates you to improve your fitness.

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Push-ups have long been the symbol of optimal fitness. They are still used by the U.S. Army and the Presidential Physical Fitness Challenge to assess strength and endurance.

For older men, the simple push-up can be used as a snapshot of their current fitness. "Push-ups are the classic bread-and-butter exercise," says Dr. Edward Phillips of Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. "How many you can do at one time offers a measurement of your strength and is an easy tool to help you improve. You can do them anywhere and at any time, and only need a few minutes."

A silicone-based product applied under the eyes can reduce the appearance of bags.

Act now to avoid potential dangers associated with solitary living, such as coronary artery disease, stroke, and thinking skills decline.

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One lovely picture of older age is of smiling seniors enjoying their golden years with partners, friends, and family. In reality, many seniors are isolated and lonely. The National Council on Aging reports that one in six adults ages 65 or older is isolated, either socially or geographically. And in a 2010 AARP survey, 25% of respondents ages 70 or older said they felt lonely.

Health risks

Get your life back by learning new ways to do once-simple activities that are now challenging.

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Occupational therapy (OT) is well known as part of recovery for people who've had a stroke or surgery: it helps them relearn everyday activities and adjust to doing them differently. But OT can also make a difference for people struggling with the physical changes that accompany aging, such as hand arthritis or hip or knee problems that cause pain and problems with mobility. "We teach people how to approach activities differently so they can keep pain under control while doing what they want to do. It's all about maintaining independence," says Allison Pinsince, an occupational therapist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

How OT works

Some procedures may help you escape the need for glasses.

Monovision LASIK and lens replacement surgery may help you see more clearly.
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You cannot avoid declining vision. After age 40, everyone begins to experience some form of presbyopia, a condition coined from the Greek words for "old sight."

Exercise, breathing techniques, and medication can help you manage stress as you get older.

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We all experience a little stress from time to time. It's not so hard to handle when we're young. But as we age, coping with stress isn't as easy anymore. "We tend to have less resilience to stress, and older adults often find that stress affects them differently now," says Dr. Michelle Dossett, an internal and integrative medicine specialist at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine.

Changes in response

What you should do