Part 2 of 3
As I mentioned in part 1 of this article, I have worked with many seniors in the fitness and wellness fields, and there are some things I have noticed that the best-living among them have in common. In part 1, I also mentioned that everyone needs to decide the best way for them to achieve happiness as there is no single way to live your later years. The key is not to let others tell you what should make you happy; rather, be yourself and live life your way. Second, everyone needs to have a purpose and a reason to get out of bed. The people I work with seem to have energy to spare and are still passionate about certain things. They have work and hobbies and look forward to things. They travel and read and still get excited.
In this installment, I would like to discuss two other key factors to a high quality of life that I believe my seniors have in common — strong social connections and regular sleep.
In a 2021 study of over 11,500 Australians aged 70 or older, researchers found that people that lacked social connection were at a higher risk for heart disease. Another study conducted in England of over 3,300 men aged 52 and older found that socially isolated participants were less likely to report being physically active and had much higher rates of obesity and smoking. Loneliness and social isolation have also been known to affect memory and depression.
In a 2017 study by Donovan et al., data from 1998 to 2010 was analyzed on men and women aged 65 and older who participated in a US Health and Retirement study. Of the approximately 8,300 people studied, researchers found faster rates of cognitive decline among those that reported being lonely. The bottom line is that loneliness and isolation are very bad for your physical and mental health. So, stay connected. Join a club, make friends, talk to people. Humans are social creatures, and people need to be around other people.
The other factor that I believe to be important in maintaining a high quality of life in later years is getting enough quality sleep. I have written many times over the years that sleep is not a luxury but is an absolute necessity for optimal function of body and brain. It is central to the production of important hormones, allows the brain to remove toxic waste products, and is essential to memory and mood. In a 2021 study by Sabia et al. of 8,000 middle-aged people, researchers found that there was a 30% increased risk of developing late-onset dementia in people who slept 6 hours or less per night when compared with those that slept seven or more hours regularly. Other research suggests that lack of sleep is connected to higher rates of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, among other things. Getting enough quality sleep can help reduce the risk of these and other health problems later on.
Aging well might not be on your mind, but it absolutely should be. While some things, such as injuries, accidents, and genetics, are largely out of one’s control, there are certainly things that you can do to improve the odds of living life with a high degree of quality and, most likely, add years to your life. In this series’ 3rd and final installment, I will discuss how a proper diet and regular exercise can help you make the most of retirement.
