Having a positive attitude and exercising can result in a longer, healthier life. Unfortunately, many elders are inactive. Since we lose 1 to 2 percent of our strength each year as a result of normal aging, some elders just feel too weak or tired to engage in physical activity. Others are afraid that they might hurt themselves or they simply don’t want to do it. As an elderly person loses muscle mass and becomes weaker, a vicious cycle begins – weaker muscles lead to greater inactivity. Yoga and tai chi can improve muscle strength. In fact, Tai chi provides other benefits such as improving immunity, cardiac function, sleep quality and balance.

Learn about 5 basic strategies that will pave the way to becoming a centenarian.

Osteoporosis has always been thought of as more of a woman’s disease. It is a known fact that women lose estrogen after menopause which contributes to the acceleration of bone loss. However, new studies have found that men too are at risk for osteoporosis. A major new study of more than 600 Northern California men found that one-third of the study participants actually has osteoporosis, but just a few had ever been screened for it or received treatment for their disease. To put this into perspective, the reality is that more men are likely to suffer from a hip fracture than from prostate cancer.

Read more about osteoporosis in men.

Strontium ranelate is an alternative drug for Fosomax which is a bisphosphonate. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2004 found that strontium ranelate reduced vertebral fractures by 41% and hip fractures 36% compared with placebos in elderly women with osteoporosis. The incidence of gastrointestinal effects were the same in both groups.

Read more about osteoporosis.

Studies show that yoga can reduce stress. Researchers have found that yoga can reduce the impact of exaggerated stress responses and may be helpful for both anxiety and depression. By initiating a relaxation response, perceived stress and anxiety are modulated.  Some of the physiological benefits are: a slower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and easier breathing.

Learn more on how yoga effects the stress response.

Today, people have more options to choose the type of stair lifts to suit their needs. Many manufacturers of chair lifts can personalize them so that they meet the needs of the individual. 

Read more about what is now available and how one can safely age in a two story house.

Yoga for older seniors can help reverse the aging process and provide a wide range of positive benefits even if practiced on a moderate basis. The three main areas of development are balance, stretching, and strength. Balancing exercises strengthen leg muscles and help to prevent falling. Yoga can also help improve circulation which can become more sluggish with aging.

Read more about the many benefits of yoga.

This is a great article on how to stay healthy while aging. It addresses the need for good nutrition and exercise and the importance of exercising the brain. Read more on how to maintain good health in one’s later years.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in the elderly and can be caused by either inadequate consumption of foods high in vitamin B12 or by poor absorption. One study found that 12 percent of elderly people were deficient in vitamin B12. Other studies, focusing on those who are in institutions or who are sick and malnourished, have suggested a higher prevalence of 30 percent to 40 percent.

Learn more about the importance of Vitamin B12.

The treatment of chronic pain has been a challenge for many decades. To help differentiate treatments for the various kinds of pain, scientists have created a clinical bedside test that identifies distinct pain phenotypes that might help deliver more-effective mechanism-based treatment strategies. For example, neural pathways involved with inflammatory pain can be intact whereas neuropathic pain may be a result of a lesion to the nerve itself.

Learn more about this exciting new discovery.

Recent studies have found that interventions, such as physical exercise, that improve physical function could help keep more vulnerable seniors out of the hospital. If more seniors engaged in exercise it would not only reduce disabilities associated with muscle weakness and atrophy but it would also reduce the huge economic burden associated with hospitalization of the elderly.

Read more about the link between muscle atrophy and hospitalization.