STAY CONNECTED
Maintaining good relationships with family and friends is key. Half of over-60's are at risk of social isolation and one in three of them of them will experience loneliness. It's well recognised that social interaction can stave off depression and is linked to longer life, but there is no 'one size fits all' way to combat this. it's entirely possible to feel alone in a crowd , and while quiz sessions and and other group activities might work for some, for others, a one-to-one gossip or even a regular phone chat is far more effective. One thing is clear, though: physical contact can strengthen your immune system, soothe and signal safety and trust. A regular phone call or offers of practical help can help keep older people independent. But if you're visiting an elderly or friend, hold their hand or touch their back gently: it could make all the difference.
AGE BETTER
In the last 30 years the number of people in the UK who have reached their 90's has almost trebled, to more than 600,000. In the 20th century, childhood immunisation programmes and universal healthcare, followed more recently by medical advances in the treatment and prevention of heart disease and cancer, have vastly improved our longevity, By 2019, average life expectancy in England was 79.9 years for men and 83.6 years for women, and the only factor to reverse this upward trend, Covid-19, is hopefully now past its worst. And. while the number of life years spent in what people surveyed describe as 'good' health has not increased as fast as overall life expectancy, it has also risen.
MOVE THOSE MUSCLES
Regular exercise can reduce your risk of developing heart disease and having a fall. The ideal is 30 minutes, five times a week, or aerobic exercise (the kind that gets your heart pumping and makes you mildly breathless), with some activity on most days - but anything is better than nothing.
Once you reach your 50's, the importance of combining aerobic exercise (brisk walking, cycling, heavy gardening, aerobics, dancing, tennis) with resistance exercise - using weights or resistance bands, or doing press-ups, squats, and sit-ups - increases. Resistance exercises activate individual muscles, and the action of tendons pulling on the bones they attached to boosts bone density.
Exercising in middle age is also one of the most effective ways to cut your risk of dementia - a review of 11 studies showed a reduction of about 30% in dementia and 45% in Alzheimer's associated with regular physical activity. And it's never too late to start - one year of regular aerobic exercise has been found to increase the size of a part of the brain that's key to memory (the hippocampus): equivalent to reversing age-related brain decline by one to two years. The type of exercise appears to matter less than the regularity.
STAND TALL
Many of us shrink as we get older because the bones in our spines become compressed. The thinning of bones seen in osteoporosis also increases the risk of a fragility fracture (often to a hip or wrist) following a minor fall. We all start to lose bone density from our 40's and this usually accelerates in women after the menopause. Some people may also show signs of 'dowager's hump', related to crush fractures of the spine caused by osteoporosis. To help strengthen your bones, do plenty of exercise, particularly the weight-bearing kind (anything other than swimming and cycling), take regular vitamin D supplements and ensure you have enough calcium in your diet (it can be found in dairy products, tinned fish with bones, calcium-set tofu and fortified plant-based foods).
REST RIGHT
If you're in pain or feel unwell, it's important to listen to your body, as overdoing it could do you more harm than good. If your body tells you that you need to rest, it's because sleep has amazing regenerative powers. You don't always have to be a superhero - in fact, sometimes it can be counterproductive.
KICK HARMFUL HABITS
It's never too late to cut down on alcohol and stop smoking...
WATCH YOUR WINE
There is a clear relationship between alcohol intake and the likelihood of reaching the age of 90 in both men and women. In one study, people who drank between 0.6 and 1.9 units a day (5-15g of alcohol) were up to 36% more likely to reach the age of 90 than other groups - with binge drinkers significantly less likely to achieve a healthy old age.
While many people believe that a small amount of alcohol - particularly red wine - is good for their hearts, recent research suggests the greatest health benefits come from avoiding alcohol entirely. Earlier this year, the World Health Federation reviewed the research and issued a policy briefing confirming that people who abstain from any alcohol are at lower risk of heart disease, stroke, heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms.
THE END OF SMOKING?
We know that smoking increases increases the risk of a host of cancers, along with lung and heart disease, but today we are in the happy position of having fewer smokers in the UK than at any time since records began in 1974. Then, almost half the population (46%) smoked; by 2020, that figure was down to 13.5%. Of course, many non-smokers have smoked in the past. But the benefits of quitting accumulate over the years: within a year, your risk of heart attack falls to about half that of a current smoker (and within 15 years is no higher than if you had never smoked) and within 10 years of quitting you halve your risk of lung cancer.
TAKE HEART
Twenty years ago, the leading cause of death for those over 80 was heart disease. However, since then, deaths from heart disease have dropped. One of the main reasons for this is that we're better able to spot the signs - seeking emergency help early if you have sudden or unusual pain or discomfort in your chest, upper abdomen, left arm, neck or jaw is key. But preventive treatments, including lifestyle changes, statins and blood pressure-lowering medications, have probably made even more difference. Of course, these depend on getting your cholesterol and blood pressure checked and taking treatment regularly if it is prescribed.
How to live well into old age
SHARPEN YOUR BRAIN
1) Look after your ears - it takes the average Briton 10 years to seek help for hearing loss. Getting it treated can reduce the risk of social isolation and depression, and may more than halve the risk of dementia. Hearing aids today are discreet, personally tailored and highly effective.
2) Check Blood Pressure - it's estimated 4.3m people in England alone have undiagnosed hypertension. In the last year, every NHS pharmacy in England has rolled out free NHS blood pressure checks for over 40's not diagnosed with this major risk factor for heart attack, stroke and dementia.
3) Keep on Learning - There has been a lot of hype in recent years about 'brain-training' apps. There is good evidence that education can improve cognitive performance, but how you keep your mind sharp comes down to personal preference. Whether it's sudoku, crosswords or a pottery class, the key is to keep engaging your brain.
Source: Dr Sarah Jarvis Good Housekeeping June 2022