Stay Socially Connected
Source: AARP.org | April 10, 2006
Not only is it fun to spend time shopping with friends or visiting with loved ones—researchers now know that time can also help keep your brain healthy as you age.
Some research indicates that people who have good social networks live longer. They also are physically healthier than people who are socially isolated. In fact, experts say that how socially connected a person tends to be is one of the most important ways of predicting his or her health and independence in later years.
Why Maintain Social Networks?
Maintaining supportive relationships is an important element of effective aging. The more contact we have with others as we age, the better we may be at retaining mental sharpness.
A large study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people who engaged in leisure activities such as learning to play a musical instrument or dancing were less likely to develop dementia.
Dancing may be especially beneficial to the brain because it combines physical activity with social interaction, and often involves a cognitive challenge in learning dance steps.
"There's a lot of evidence that other people are the most unpredictable things you can encounter," says Lawrence Katz. "So activities that have you engaging with other human beings are a fantastic form of brain exercise."
Social Connections and Brain Health
A major public-health study involving more than 116,000 participants found that people with strong relationships had less mental decline and lived more active, pain-free lives without physical limitations.
Other studies suggest that people with the most limited social connections are twice as likely to die over a given period than those with the widest social networks. Many experts believe that social isolation may create a chronically stressful condition that accelerates aging.
This information is especially important to older people, who may be more likely to lead solitary lives—especially if family and friends have moved away or died. Of course, combating loneliness requires time and energy, both in establishing new relationships and in deepening existing ones. But the benefits are well worth the effort.
"As soon as you become captive in your room or your chair, you've got a problem," says Michael Merzenich, PhD, a neurobiologist at University of California, San Francisco. "You become removed from the possibilities for excitement, for learning, and for engaging your brain with fun and surprise. Your brain needs you to get out and have those 1,000 daily surprises."
Tips for Staying Socially Connected
How can we ensure that strong human connections continue to be an integral part of our lives as we age? Aging experts recommend staying involved in religious and community functions, maintaining a network of friends and family with whom we regularly interact, and volunteering in organizations that get us out and among other people. Here are just some of the options available for staying connected:
- Pursue social activities, like wine tastings, lecture programs, or traveling with friends.
- Get involved in projects that require you to have regular contact with others, like planning a gathering for a club, organizing a card- or game-playing night with friends, or helping out with a church supper.
- Investigate the options for social interactions available in your community — take advantage of programs and services offered at community and senior centers, or at your local offices for aging.
- Seek out people who may share your interests by getting involved at your place of worship, in clubs, and in other organizations.
- Volunteer for a cause you believe in by contacting a local nonprofit organization, such as a charity you find meaningful, or a local school or museum.
- Get connected while you improve your health: Join a walking or biking club or your local fitness center, go out golfing, or take yoga or cooking classes.
- Take an adult-education or college course in something that interests you — you might be amazed at how much you enjoy going back to school!
- Consider animal companionship, too. Furry, finned, and feathered friends can bring great joy, love, and meaning into our lives. Animal shelters are full of potential companions looking for good homes. (They can also be great places to volunteer.)
There are many resources to help you connect with opportunities for social interaction in your community. And once you get going, you may find you're having so much fun it's hard to stop!
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