Variety can be the spice of life, and now scientists say variety in your social circle may help you live longer.
Researchers at The University of Texas have found that older adults, who spend more time interacting with more people, were more likely to be physically active and had greater emotional well-being.
The coordinator and professor in Gerontology at Fanshawe College, Susan Clements, explains that people are looking for what makes them integrally healthy.
“What makes somebody healthy? There are physical, mental and social health components, so you have to look at all the domains, and you have to look at the person holistically,” says Clements.
This new research points out that adults often grow less physically active and more sedentary as they age, and these behaviors pose a risk factor for disease and death.
Clements says that exercises, diet, staying active and connected are really important to stay healthy, but sometimes we don’t give as much as importance to social interaction and engagement, which is definitely relevant after age 60.
“In order to maintain and to be physically active, sometimes a motivator is the social component. So, one thing that has been shown to be helpful in keeping an old adult active, is making sure that there’s a peer component,” explains Clements.
Previous studies have shown that close social ties, like family and close friends, can be beneficial to older adults by providing a buffer against stress and improving emotional well-being, as mention before.
However, keep the mind busy, like continue to work after the 60s, it is a good idea too, not just to make new friends, to interact with others, but to help decrease the chance of depression, for example.
“Keeping people working longer is absolutely great. But also, one of the best ways to remain engaged and social active is through volunteering because they will feel a sense of meaning and that they are contributing to the community,” emphasizes Clements.
Many people spend their whole life waiting for their retirement, but when it happens the experience isn’t as good as they had imagined.
Edna Moreira
Maybe because they started to feel lonely, but the retired teacher Edna Moreira, was prepared for this special occasion in her life, and today she tries to live an active life.
“One of the things about retirement is that you need to keep your mind and your body active and busy because if you don’t, things don’t work well. I go to the gym, and I often do yoga classes,” says Moreira.
She also mentions what Clements pointed out about volunteering to deal with this moment of retirement.
“It’s important to keep your mind busy and that’s why I also volunteer at a church in London. I do the power point, and I am a president of the administration board,” says Moreira.
As mentioned before, be alone is not a good idea after the 60s, so Edna is always keeping her friends very close and has some advice for those who are passing through the same.
“Friends are important. It’s important that you have someone to talk and to go for a coffee. My advice is that before you decided to retire, make sure you have something to do. Just don’t do that and sit at home and do nothing. The other thing is read and do crosswords,” suggests Moreira.
The key is to find how you can continue to enjoy new phases of life, whether it is by doing volunteer work, spending more time with family or even finding a new activity.
The relevant point is to recognize that life doesn’t end when you retire and don’t be intimidated by age.
