When you reach your eighties, chances are high that your social network will shrink due to the loss of friends and peers. As such, the importance of forming and maintaining quality relationships becomes more pronounced. Whether it is playing cards every week, talking to a brother on the phone, or even exchanging pleasantries with neighbors, “micro-relationships” help maintain cognitive clarity and emotional resilience.
Physical Mobility
The other important factor is physical mobility. In fact, it cannot be denied that muscles gradually become weaker and people become less coordinated, an age-related process called sarcopenia. Nonetheless, numerous studies indicate that this decline is neither predetermined nor irreversible but depends on the concept of “use it or lose it.”
Even such an activity as walking, available to many senior citizens, is likely to be more effective in preserving muscle mass compared to physical inactivity. It does not imply that an octogenarian has to be as physically active as someone in his or her twenties or even try to compete in terms of athletic performance. The point is to achieve functional fitness—meaning that one’s level of physical performance must be sufficient to move freely, perform basic activities independently, go shopping, sit down and stand up without any assistance, or play games with the rest of the family.
Continued on next page:
Don’t Miss The Rest! Press Next Button Below To Continue Reading.
