Mexico City.- Currently, talking about well-being refers to achieving an improvement in people’s quality of life, stimulating the mind and maintaining functional capacity in evolutionary development. For this reason, promoting well-being in people over 60 years of age is essential, since deterioration of certain cognitive functions may begin to appear and incorporating healthy habits could delay it.
People over the age of 60 are the age group that is often called the “silver generation” or “silver generation” (alluding to gray hair). In recent years, the social perception of this stage of life has been modified. Now this generation is characterized by having an increasingly active position, related to being in constant learning and movement, and in search of more and more alternatives that allow them to achieve well-being.
Within this framework, the business unit of the Institute of Cognitive Neurology (INECO), INECO U, developed a new training that seeks to bring techniques and resources to the silver generation to have a healthier life, providing effective strategies to achieve well-being.
In an interview with Infobae, Dr. Julián Bustin, Head of Gerontopsychiatry and the INECO Memory Clinic, and visiting professor of the INECO U Neurosciences for Well-being Course for People Over 60, asserted: “It has been shown that exercising regularly, together with cognitive stimulation and social activity, increases the feeling of personal well-being in the elderly”.
“There are 12 risk factors for cognitive deterioration that we can modify with our habits, which would reduce the chances of having this type of deterioration by 40%. These are: sedentary lifestyle, smoking, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, hearing impairment, low educational level, traumatic head injuries, air pollution, excessive alcohol consumption, depression and infrequent social contact, ”he explained.
For the specialist, “these are factors that can be modified from the acquisition of different healthy habits, such as physical activity, the incorporation of balanced diets, the development of adequate rest, cognitive stimulation, active control of cardiovascular risk factors (eg: blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, etc.) and all the necessary elements to improve hearing (eg: hearing aids)”.
Today, advances in the field of health and improvements in the lifestyle of society have led to a substantial growth in life expectancy, generating greater interest on the part of this group of the population in being included in a greater number of of social and educational activities.
In relation to the changes that arose, new demands for knowledge were incorporated in the elderly. Previously, the idea of retiring and using that stage for rest predominated; Now they usually choose to start a new, highly challenging stage, full of renewed goals and purposes. In this way, the current scenario proposes a permanent retraining in skills and training, with the aim of achieving healthier habits and behaviors extended over time.
“The effects of retirement on older people will depend on different factors such as the health situation of the adult, the resources available to them, their personality, among others. The sensations when reaching this transition stage are very varied according to each person, from the moment they enter this period and even during its development, since they go through it in different ways. Also, it will depend on whether or not the person has been actively working their entire adult life,” Bustin said.
However, according to the expert, “regardless of their level of work activity, a common factor for all older people who have to face it is that it is usually mobilizing and requires adaptation because it will be a new stage that will present them with different challenges” .
“Upon reaching the time of retirement, far from starting the path of retirement, many older people begin a new path that they consider as an opportunity to meet new challenges. Previously, the idea of using that stage to rest predominated, while today they tend to choose to start a new one that is highly challenging, full of renewed goals and purposes”, he remarked.
Something that the professional considers fundamental is, as much as possible, “to stay active at this stage, including activities that generate pleasure, avoiding remaining socially isolated, and promoting learning.” “Above all, have clear objectives to meet at this stage. Studies show that having specific goals is one of the biggest predictors of well-being,” he advised.
And he continued: “Staying connected with other people at an advanced age contributes to greater well-being, since feeling socially isolated is one of the risk factors for cognitive decline. Social isolation and the subjective feeling of loneliness are risk factors as important as, for example, smoking. Being able to be in contact with others and create bonds that allow us to share activities and relax, is positive for this stage of life”.
For this reason, developing psychological well-being, resilience and the different protective factors at these ages is of the utmost importance, since it allows maintaining functional capacity. In this sense, there are different strategies to have a healthy brain beyond 60, through planning a life project or applying sleep habits and mindfulness techniques, among other scientifically endorsed methods.
“Working on the resilience of the elderly is essential since it allows them, when having to face complex situations, to adapt more easily and be more flexible before the changes that may arise. Likewise, there is inherently a greater degree of resilience in those people who have already gone through different challenges throughout their lives, than in those who have not experienced too many variations,” Bustin said.
The stage in which people over the age of 60 develop offers a large number of potentialities, which is why it is important to be able to recognize them and work on them to promote an increasingly active life, incorporating cognitive stimulation, physical activity, meditation, diet healthy, adequate rest, personal cleanliness and controlling cardiovascular risks. “Brain training throughout evolutionary development is important since staying cognitively stimulated means that cognitive decline can be delayed or even prevented in advanced ages,” he concluded. (Taken from Infobae)
