Do you lunch regularly with friends? Meet weekly for poker, bowling, or bocci? Then chances are you are not going to become physically disabled any time soon. Research at the Rush University Medical Center has found a connection between higher levels of social activity — dining out, playing bingo, volunteering — with a lower risk of becoming disabled.
“Social activity has long been recognized as an essential component of healthy aging, but now we have strong evidence that it is also related to better everyday functioning and less disability in old age,” lead researcher Bryan James, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the epidemiology of aging and dementia at the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, said in a statement.
With this recent study in mind, here are some ways to be socially active and age in a healthy way.
Stay connected
The study, to be published in the April issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, looked at 954 older adults with a mean age of 82. People who were more socially active were about twice as likely to remain free of disability that involved daily living activities, such as eating, than those who were less active. And they were 1.5 times more likely to be free of disabilities involving mobility or household management, such as walking up and down stairs and using the phone.
“The findings are exciting because social activity is potentially a risk factor that can be modified to help older adults avoid the burdens of disability,” James said.
Some ways of staying connected are:
• Taking a part-time job
• Adopting a pet
• Providing child care for a neighbor or relative
• Volunteering at a local school
• Joining a chorus or theater production
Keep moving
How being social helps prevent disability is not completely understood, according to James. It could be that it supports the function of our musculoskeletal system and neural networks that we all need to function independently, he said. This all adds to the “move it or lose it” argument health experts like to make and is yet another reason to be physically fit. Plus, if you exercise with other people you get a workout and engage in a social activity.
Older adults are recommended to build to up to 30 minutes of endurance exercise a day that gets you breathing hard, says the National Institute on Aging. Good activities are brisk walking and biking. Strength, balance, and stretching exercises like yoga and tai chi are also important for rounding out your exercise repertoire and giving you a complete program.
Drive safely
When you’re driving to your church meeting group or heading to the local VFW, take care behind the wheel. As we age our reaction times may slow because of older, stiffer joints and weaker muscles. But it’s critical to be able to make fast decisions and move rapidly to avoid accidents. The National Institute on Aging recommends becoming aware of how your mind or body may be changing, and talking to your doctor about it. It also advises when driving to:
• Brake early when you need to stop
• Leave extra space between you and the car in front of you
• On high-traffic, fast-moving highways, drive in the right lane where vehicles move more slowly, allowing for more time with decisions
Eliminate household hazards
While the Rush University Medical Center study found that with higher levels of social activity you are more likely to be able to remain active around the house, keeping your surroundings safe will help as well. Protect yourself from slipping and falling and possibly breaking a bone by following these tips from the National Institute on Aging:
• Be sure carpets are fastened firmly to the floor
• Don’t leave around clutter that you could trip on
• Make sure your hallways and stairways are well-lit with light switches on both ends of the hall and on the top and bottom of stairs
• Have tightly fastened handrails on both sides of your stairway
• Keep a night light on in the bathroom and near your bed
For more tips on healthy aging, go to the National Institute on Aging website.
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