Adults continue to shift their mindsets from the absolute length of their lives in years to the quality of life in those years. The lifespan to health span shift is critical because most aging adults do not want to live a longer life if it requires losing the parts, especially independence, of their life most...
The CDC reports millions of American adults fall each year leading to millions of Emergency Department visits and hospital admissions. Unknown to many people these falls result in close to 1 million deaths each year. The most common injuries sustained in a fall include traumatic brain injuries and hip fractures. We also know these numbers...
The positive impact of exercise on our mental health diseases and outcomes continues to be discovered. Research has moved from correlational studies showing active individuals have improved health outcomes to cause and effect trials. These randomized controlled trials have documented the impact of exercise on both healthy individuals and those with mental health diagnoses (Alzheimer’s,...
Older adults are at high risk of sacropenia or the loss of muscle mass due to aging. Sacropenia can be driven by different diseases and conditions, but is most commonly due to changes in metabolism and activity levels. The loss of strength and muscle mass is one of the strongest predictors of disability in older...
Exercise remains the best tool to improve your mental, emotional, and physical health. When done correctly, and most importantly, consistently these health benefits improve both a participant’s quality and quantity of life. All other pills, supplements, medications, and online remedies pale in comparison to exercise. While we certainly cannot control all the variables (disease, injury)...
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS In the world of fitness and health, one often-overlooked measure of vitality is grip strength. While it might not seem like the most glamorous indicator, research shows that grip strength is a powerful predictor of overall health, particularly cardiovascular health and frailty. This is especially significant for women, including...
Quality of life and health span have joined lifespan as optimal goals for aging. Lifespan describes living the years of your life at an optimal level of health and wellness vs. the gradual then steep decline that normally follows aging. Losses in health span and normally associated with losses in physical independence. The low hanging...
As we age many factors limit our ability to move as quickly as we used to including disease processes, medications, neurological changes, balance impairments, and importantly weakness. Age related weakness is a major contributor to falls, less independent living, and lower quality of life in older adults. Age related muscle loss begins for most adults...
As Physical Therapists, we frequently work with patients on restoring lost function from pain, injury, surgery, or disease. Our brains have evolved over time to find and focus on the areas of our life that are missing, often at the expense of what is present. For example, the painful back or swollen knee prevents us...
Dementia is one of the most common mental health disorders affecting many older adults around the world. Authors estimate 50 million around the world suffer with this diagnosis at a staggering cost of 1 trillion dollars a year. Although the causes of dementia are multifactorial previous researchers have shown many modifiable risk factors, including smoking,...