Age With Grace (And Vitality!)
Robust, fulfilling senior years are waiting for most of us—if we do our part. A Monmouth doctor offers tips on how to get there.
Life is finite—we can’t change that. But there is no reason why the final decades of a life can’t be among the best. Age, after all, brings a wealth of advantages: Experience and the wisdom and confidence that come with time are major assets. Gone are the days when retirement meant taking to the rocking chair and watching the world go by. With life expectancy in the U.S. rising again after taking a dip in 2022, your “golden” years can be fulfilling and sometimes actually fun—if you take proper care of yourself.
Says Priya Angi, M.D., a geriatrician and internal medicine specialist affiliated with Monmouth Medical Center and practicing in Long Branch: “The goal of healthy aging is to ensure that a person can be independent and perform the activities of daily living.” It’s not only about living longer, but increasing the quality of your years as well.
Many “good sense” practices go into this, Dr. Angi explains. Besides a healthy, balanced diet, “regular health checkups and screenings, daily exercise and making sure your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are all under control are very important,” she says. “Also important is staying up-to-date with vaccines—flu, Covid and shingles, for example.” But healthy aging goes beyond that. “There are cognitive and mental health aspects to be aware of as well,” says the doctor.
Here are some ways to age gracefully:
GIVE YOURSELF A HAND
Considering all the ways you use your hands and fingers, it’s logical that keeping them in top condition is a priority. “A loss of fine motor skills is very common,” says Dr. Angi. In particular, grip strength can decrease as we get older. Grip strength allows you to open jars and prescription bottles, yes, but is also important for catching yourself on something when you fall—and pulling yourself back up to your feet if you do. “Occupational therapy can be very helpful for these fine-motor struggles,” says the doctor. “There are even people who will come to a patient’s home to offer that service.” A common exercise for maintaining both grip strength and hand flexibility is squeezing a stress ball, which can be done while watching TV. “Some people also develop a tremor in their hands as they get older,” Dr. Angi adds. “We call it an ‘essential tremor,’ and we don’t know why it happens. It usually only causes a mild shaking.” If you experience a tremor, a doctor should rule out more serious issues such as Parkinson’s disease, but most often these essential tremors don’t affect quality of life.
HEAR YOURSELF OUT
The doctor cites hearing loss as a major part of the aging process. “It’s sometimes mistaken for cognitive decline. However, it’s not an issue of not understanding but of not hearing.” Still, if hearing loss goes unaddressed it can promote cognitive difficulties. “If you aren’t hearing anything, your brain can’t register input and do the work it needs to do,” says the doctor. Agerelated hearing loss, also called presbycusis, is very common—according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, one in three adults between ages 65 and 74 experiences it. There are steps you can take to protect your hearing. (“Avoiding loud noise is a huge thing,” reports Dr. Angi, so reach for ear plugs if your work or play takes you to loud spaces and don’t blast music through earbuds.) “But there’s no surefire way to prevent hearing loss.” Still, you also shouldn’t just accept it. “Get your hearing tested early, the very first time you think, ‘Oh, I think that sound was muffled,’” Dr. Angi says. “And then keep up with testing. When the time comes for hearing aids, get them. I know some people don’t like the idea of wearing hearing aids, but there are very small, discreet options now.” Some modern hearing aids even offer a Bluetooth connection.
KEEP YOUR MIND SHARP
We all know the benefits of keeping physically active. (Often, with aging, it becomes “use it or lose it.”) But keeping mentally active can be just as vital. “Cognitive decline is important to pay attention to,” says the doctor. “Many times, both the patient and his or her family brush it off. They say, ‘Oh, it’s just a senior moment, it’s OK.’ But it could be much more than just a senior moment. It could be the start of dementia. If someone has been able to shop, balance the checkbook and drive as they always have, and that very suddenly changes, that’s a red flag. Get an evaluation done.” She stresses: “There are now effective medications that can slow cognitive decline, though they can’t reverse the process.” Outside of medicine, don’t underestimate the power of activities that support memory and keep the mind active. “Interacting with peers, playing bingo or even talking to a therapist can help prevent cognitive problems,” she says.
STAY CONNECTED
“I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to connect with others,” says the doctor. “You share information and stimulate your brain. Not only are isolated seniors at a higher risk for cognitive problems, they are also at a higher risk for anxiety and depression.” According to the National Institute on Aging, loneliness can even increase the danger of high blood pressure and heart disease. “Don’t sit at home all day, watching TV and not talking to anyone,” Dr. Angi urges. “Go to day programs.” Often offered through community or senior centers, these programs will also often help you keep up with the active lifestyle and exercise needed to keep your body in good condition.
Finally, Dr. Angi notes that there are also solutions if you’re already experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. “There is medication,” she says. “There’s therapy. Most of the time, we can get it under control.”
