Articles
The Journal on Active Aging brings articles of value to professionals dedicated to older-adult quality of life. Content sweeps across the active-aging landscape to focus on education and practice. Find articles of interest by searching the article archives in three ways: Enter a keyword in the articles search bar; click on search by topic; or type a keyword or phrase in the general search bar at the top of the page.
Topic- Research
Telomeres: Are they the Fountain of Youth, or markers for the benefits of living well? by Cindy Geyer, MD, ABIM, ABOIM, ABLM
Since ancient times, explorers have sought the restorative powers of the proverbial Fountain of Youth. In more recent times, clinical research on cellular longevity is targeting a genetic substance called the telomere, which is entering the spotlight as a potential key to slowing-or even preventing-the more common health challenges of aging. ... [T]elomere length could provide significant clues to healthy aging, not only helping to predict and forestall diseases such as cancers, but also motivating lifestyle changes that might delay senescence [or cell aging].
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Dance fitness: Older adults give it a whirl by Mary E. Sanders, PhD, CDE, ACSM-RCEP, FACSM
We don't have to be on "Dancing with the Stars" or an elite athlete to have a great time getting in the groove. From simple to advanced choreography, social dance-type moves are being incorporated more and more into fitness programs for older adults, promoting popular and proven health benefits for mind, heart, body and soul. Dancing styles of all kinds-including waltz, tango, folk dance and salsa-along with physical fitness types of fun movement like Zumba are all providing opportunities for participants to reap the rewards of enjoyable activities that also promote balance, movement quality (like walking or stepping forward and backward) and better sensory and motor perceptions.
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'Happiness and health, part two: What you can do to boost happiness by Shirley Archer, JD, MA
I'm a happy person. An ex-boyfriend once told me, "You're happy because you don't have any problems." I told him, "You're unhappy because you don't know what a real problem is." That relationship didn't work out. But our conversation illustrates typical perceptions. Many people think happiness is something that comes to them, rather than something to create for themselves. Science now reveals that your efforts, including your mindset, exert a significant influence over your happiness. Researchers have broken down three distinct paths to happiness: positive emotions and pleasure, engagement, and meaning. Practices that boost happiness, therefore, increase experiencing and savoring pleasures, losing the self in engaging activities and participating in meaningful activities.
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A healthy microbiome equals healthy aging by Tereza Hubkova, MD
More than a hundred years ago, Russian microbiologist and immunologist Ilya Ilich Metchnikoff attributed the longevity of Bulgarian peasants to their consumption of kefir. Kefir, as he noted, contained Lactobacillus bulgaricus, a bacterium-producing lactic acid lending the beverage its sour taste. How much of Metchnikoff's observation of the anti-aging effects of friendly microbes--or probiotics--is true? And, does illness and death truly begin in the colon? The human body can be described as a "meta-organism"--a hybrid of some 30 trillion human cells with another estimated 100 trillion bacteria, fungi, protozoa, archaea and viruses. In other words, for each native cell in the human body, we play host to three-or-more symbiotic microbial cells. Who do you think runs the show?
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Nature walking and health: An update on benefits to mind, body and spirit of time in nature by Shirley Archer, JD, MA
Have you felt awe at nature's beauty after watching a glowing, multicolored sunset? Or invigorated while inhaling the scent of the ocean, as you hear waves crash, feel cool mist against your skin and dig bare toes into sand? Or serene from listening to a stream gurgle and leaves rustle in a summer breeze? These are all examples of nature's power to capture attention, transform mood and offer peaceful perspective on our place in nature's vast scheme. Today, compelling and growing scientific evidence offers proof that we reap health benefits from time spent in nature.
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Prevention in active aging by Mark Liponis, MD
All too often, people feel they don't need to keep up with prevention after they reach a certain age, or once they've attained their "golden years." I've heard from many of my patients, "I don't need a colonoscopy any more," or "I made it to 75, so why do I need to watch my diet now?" There are some prevailing feelings that we might as well do what we do and let nature take its course once we've arrived at "retirement" age, or that "prevention" is something we do when we're younger to reach those later years. ... Of course, as active-aging professionals know, it's not just about the quantity of life, but also the quality. Who wants to spend their final 10 years unable to enjoy life, or being highly dependent on others? The best way that aging adults can assure a better quality of life is by taking an active role in prevention.
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