Grey Matter Matters
It’s critical to support brain health at every stage of life. Experts offer advice for improving and preserving cognitive wellbeing, beginning as children (focus on good nutrition and sleep), and extending through the teens (be aware of potential mental health and anxiety issues), midlife (pay attention to vascular health), and older adulthood (stay socially engaged). Read all of the recommendations at the San Francisco Chronicle.
Maybe, Don’t Come In From the Cold
New research found that cold-water immersion (14°C/57.2°F) has positive effects on cellular repair and resistance. Subjects, exposed for one hour daily, showed an increase in a critical biological protective mechanism after just one week. Read more about the (limited) study, and the link between cold exposure and longevity at SciTechDaily.
A Vaccine to Fight Dementia?
It might already exist. Advanced research conducted by Stanford Medicine found that the shingles vaccine may, in fact, do double duty: treating its intended target, and offering protection against developing dementia, lowering the risk by as much as 20%. The findings support a nascent medical hypothesis that viruses impacting the nervous system can negatively affect cognitive functioning. Read more about the groundbreaking study at Stanford News Center.
The Ultimate Aging Flex
Exercise has long been acknowledged as critical to healthy aging. However, older adults, especially those in their mid-60s and beyond, should refocus their routines to emphasize three key functions: balance, flexibility, and strength. The latter is perhaps most important as muscle mass starts to decline around age 50. Experts also advise that older adults need to exercise more frequently to see the same benefits as those realized by younger adults. Read more about how to switch up your workouts as you age, and why it’s never too late to start.
Going Deep
The documentary, “The Last of the Sea Women” explores the lives of haenyeos, the mostly older women (typically in their 70s), who sustain the ancient, yet dying, practice of gathering seafood from the reefs and sea floor surrounding their home off the coast of South Korea. They make between 100 and 300 dives per day, often in cold and challenging conditions. While the work is tough, the women are well respected and admired, and enjoy a position of distinction in local society—an anomaly in our #ageist world. Streaming on Apple TV+.
Are Older Workers the Key to AI Adoption?
New research found that – contrary to popular assumptions – midcareer and mature workers can be an asset in the successful rollout of AI tools. Generation, a global workforce nonprofit, identified a group of older “power users” who are significantly ahead of the curve in effectively implementing AI. Why have these individuals been successful? According to Generation, adoption requires not only technological expertise, but the ability to align AI with human values and knowledge, the latter being a strength of experienced employees. The organization further suggests that pairing younger and older workers would make an effective, intergenerational dream team, with the greatest likelihood of constructively deploying AI. Read more about the findings in Harvard Business Review.
Your Age Could Be Your Edge
Katerina Stroponiati is a venture capitalist with a unique approach to investing. Her singular - and contrarian - criterion for funding early-stage tech companies? Founders must be at least 50 years old. Stroponiati believes that wisdom, experience, connections, and credibility – characteristics most often associated with older professionals – are the intangibles critical to successful launches. Read more about her Brilliant Minds fund, and key research that supports her approach.
Nature vs Nurture
A healthy lifestyle can take you only so far. Research shows that eating right, exercising often, and otherwise adopting healthy habits can extend the lifespan—to about 80, or even 90 years of age. After that, genetics are likely the most significant factor. Do you have any centenarians in your family? Read the NYT article to find out more about longevity influences.
Finding Time to Grieve
What we’re reading: “Memorial Days,” by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks. A spare tale of marriage and mourning, Brooks’s memoir explores the trauma of her husband’s sudden death at age 60 (he was Tony Horowitz, also a renowned literary figure), and the all-encompassing loss she experienced after 35 years of marriage. The chapters alternate between the immediate, frenzied aftermath of Horowitz’s death, and three years hence, when Brooks decamps to a remote corner of her native Australia to finally find the time, and space, to fully grieve. Read the Wall Street Journal’s review of this moving narrative of sorrow and remembrance.
Fighting Ageism at Any Age
Elderspeak–talking in a condescending or other demeaning manner to older adults–is one of the many prevalent ways ageism is manifested. And sometimes it happens well before senior citizenship. As NPR notes, pushing back against ageist comments in all forms, including those directed internally, is one key to a longer, healthier life.
A Moving Movie About Age-Related Dementia
The documentary film, “Keys Bags Names Words” (the things Alzheimer’s patients lose most often), examines the disease from multiple perspectives, including exploring positive approaches to caring for, and connecting with, those affected. Visit the film’s website to find out about upcoming screenings, or to schedule one of your own.
The Vitalizing Effects of Volunteering
In addition to serving your community, new research found that volunteering can serve you, as well! Even giving your time for just one hour a week can contribute to a longer, healthier life. Experts noted that volunteering supports physical, social, and psychological benefits, resulting in a positive impact on biological aging. Follow the link below to Health.com to read more about the benefits of helping others.
Can Driving a Taxi Tax Your Brain?
In a word: Yes! It turns out driving a taxi can tax your brain—but in a good way. Recent research found that U.S. taxi (and ambulance) drivers had the lowest incidence of death due to Alzheimer’s disease among the more than 400 occupations included in the study. Researchers attributed this to drivers’ use of complex cognitive skills to navigate trips (most participants worked prior to today’s ubiquitous reliance on GPS). Whether solving spatial challenges, or engaging in other decision-based activities such as chess, stimulating your brain can be key to brain health.
Follow the link below to The Wall Street Journal to learn more.
Brain Health: The Benefits of Learning How to Play Music
For many kids, learning how to play an instrument is a key part of their formative years. Not only does it help with brain development, it also helps elevate moods and reduce stress. For older adults who pick up an instrument, the list of benefits expands, including the possibility of reduced risk of dementia. Read more at The Atlantic.
The Long and Winding Road
Might we take a different route if we knew we’d live to be 100? According to the Pew Research Center, nearly half a million Americans are expected to live to at least 100 years of age by 2050—that’s quadruple the current number of centenarians. Laura Carstensen, founder of Stanford University’s Center on Longevity, suggests we need to rethink our traditional pathways to optimize this new-found longevity. For example, she suggests making childhood longer, or working less while rearing children and more later in life instead of retiring. Read on for more innovative ideas.
Spotlight on: “The Later Daters”
Michelle Obama’s new docuseries follows six older adults, ages 56 to 71, as they wade back into the dating pool. Helping them stay afloat are their children, close friends, and a relationship expert. Does dating get easier as one ages? No, but there can be some unexpected rewards. Streaming now on Netflix.
You Know “the talk” You’re Dreading? It’s Time.
According to a study by VITAS Healthcare, only 22% of the U.S. population has an end-of-life plan in place. While American culture treats death as a taboo subject, it’s an inevitability for all of us. Discussing and documenting decisions around dying can strengthen familial relationships, and is a gift to loved ones. Read about how to take the first steps in initiating this important talk.
Inside Ted Danson’s New Netflix Series
Cheers to Danson & Co. for creating a show that doesn't shy away from the topic of aging. “A Man on the Inside” is a comedy, but one that also highlights some weighty themes, including the fact that life doesn’t stop just because you get older. Streaming now.
Words Matter
Attendees at the annual Gerontological Society of America (GSA) conference took a deep dive into how words can propagate ageism and bolster negative stereotypes of older adults. Actions included analyzing 62 million social media posts on the platform X for ageist terminology, and examining how older characters are described in children’s books. One notable, concrete effort was petitioning two of the world’s most respected dictionaries—Oxford English Dictionary and Merriam Webster—to update their definitions of ageism to encompass a broader description of who is impacted. Results TBD.
What We’re Reading this Week: “The Second Fifty: Answers to the 7 Big Questions of Midlife and Beyond”
Author Debra Whitman, an economist and aging expert, offers a roadmap for living a healthier and more meaningful second half of life. Two key insights:
Mind Over Matter – Yes, healthy habits are critical to longevity, but mindset has a significant impact as well. Researchers found that those with positive attitudes of aging can live more than seven years longer than cohorts with negative outlooks.
Older Workers Are a Force – More older Americans are working than ever before, and contrary to what many believe, studies show they are a benefit to the economy and to their employers, activating both productivity and innovation.