This week I read about research that is examining how attitudes can improve the way we age. Several interesting studies are being conducted at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to identify what characteristics and activities promote healthy aging…how people become “super-agers”.
Researchers asked themselves:
· What allows some older people to thrive in spite of physical problems?
· What can we learn from the most resilient and functional elderly?
· How can we apply that knowledge to others to promote healthy aging?
Stress
One of the answers involves our attitudes to stress. Changes that occur with aging and changes caused by stress on a cellular level are similar and influence each other. The greater the feelings of chronic stress, the more the signs of aging in our cells.
Chronic stress can lead to a buildup of cytokines, factors that trigger the immune system to release inflammatory chemicals that can harm our body’s cells over time. It can also impair the function of mitochondria, the energy centers inside cells, and accelerate the aging of epigenetic (“around the genes”) factors that control which genes are turned on or off. In addition, chronic stress prematurely shortens telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of strands of DNA that protect against genetic damage, decreasing the life of individual cells.
Super-agers tend to have coping mechanisms to deal with stress and develop positive attitudes to replace stressful negative thoughts. These strategies can help to minimize the effects of stress-induced aging. Who knows? Perhaps we will see cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT, also known as “talk therapy”) as an anti-aging treatment in the future!
Turning on filters
“Biological aging is more under our control than we think,” says UCSF researcher Elissa Epel. “Our mental filter—how we see the world—determines our reality and how much we will suffer when we find ourselves in difficult situations in life.”
Our mental filter can be modified by consciously developing gratitude and a mindful response to stress. Social support and greater numbers of positive emotional connections also protect us from the effects of stress.
I can't help thinking of "Jessica's Daily Affirmation" as I talk about this, although it's been years since I've seen it... Do you remember this viral video of a little girl who proclaims how much she loves her life (and everyone in it!) each morning? If not, here's a link to it on YouTube.
But meditation, exercise and an anti-inflammatory diet can also reduce and possibly reverse some effects of aging. Researchers say that small changes maintained over the years can significantly improve the health and reduce aging of our cells, and maintain our overall resiliency and health.
Exercise
We know that exercise improves health, but many don’t realize it also improves mood and outlook on life. It’s even recommended as a useful treatment strategy for depression. Runners will describe a feeling of euphoria after exercise…the “runner’s high”. This is thought to be induced by release of endorphins, natural chemicals produced by the body to relieve stress and pain. Endorphins attach to the same receptors as opioids, relieving pain through a similar mechanism but without the risk of addiction and overdose.
But you don’t need to run a marathon to benefit from the positive mood exercise can generate. One strategy I’ve instinctively used to deal with stress is to go outside for a brisk walk, ideally in a beautiful place like the beach or a park. The combination of exercise, fresh air and the beauty of nature combines perfectly to pull me away from my deepest problems. I expect it’s a combination of distraction from negative thoughts and production of endorphins, working together.
Music
Music has long been known to induce relaxation and reduce stress, although there is less research into how and why it works than in other fields. Classical music with its relaxing sounds has been shown to improve mode and distract from negative thoughts.
But the rhythm and chords used in a song combine to create what is called “groove” (as in “groovy, man”…). This is the quality of music that catches our attention, gives us pleasure and makes us want to move.
The rhythm of a song can’t be too regular, or it becomes boring. Having notes between the beat, called syncopation, creates some unpredictability and draws us into the music. However, too much syncopation makes it difficult to follow the beat. Harmony—the chords used—is most engaging when chords are somewhat complex but not too complicated.
So, songs with the right combination of syncopation and harmony catch our attention and make us want to move to the music. They also create feelings of pleasure—groovy! Singing along to favourite songs is a great way to clear your mind of negative thoughts, improve your mood and reduce your reaction to stress.
So, listening to pleasure-inducing music instead of the latest news, for example in your car on the way home from work, may actually help you stay less stressed and healthier as you age!
Genetics
Although the genes we inherited from our parents affect how we age, aging is no longer seen as inevitable. Evidence is convincing that reducing levels of inflammation, getting some exercise and improving diet can all make a difference in maintaining good brain health well into old age…and studies are ongoing!
Four strategies for aging well:
1. Embrace aging—With age comes wisdom accumulated through a lifetime of experience. It’s time to help others by sharing our knowledge. Seek positive situations and cut out things you don’t like. Focus on experiences, things you’ve always wanted to do, and staying healthy. Take control of your environment.
2. Quit the negativity—Negativity and fear associated with aging can spoil the great side of getting older. The last third of life is a time to let go of our society’s pressure to look younger and take time to just enjoy life. My hubby loves to say, “we aren’t in any hurry…we’re retired”. We can spend time doing whatever we want. What is there to be negative about? Of course, this is a good attitude at any age...don't wait until retirement to quit the negativity!
3. Move more—Physical activity improves brain function. It also increases production of brain cells, improves cardiovascular health and promotes a sense of well-being. Exercise is correlated with increased thought processing speed! And researchers even think it may protect brain function in those with a genetic risk of Alzheimer’s.
4. Meditate—A study of participants of a month-long meditation retreat showed reduced levels of anxiety and depression, and increased length of telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of strands of DNA (shortened telomeres are a sign of cell aging). To me, relaxing to music and gentle exercise (like yoga or walking the beach) are forms of meditation we can all enjoy.
References:
Decoding the Mystery of the Super-Ager—University of California San Francisco
Endorphins: Effects and how to increase levels—Medical News Today
Groovy findings: Researching how and why music moves you—The Conversation
The Power of Music to Reduce Stress--PsychCentral
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