Managing Your Health

Good balance is key to preventing potentially disabling falls. It takes active coordination of many systems in the body to achieve good balance, but beginning in your 50s, you may start noticing subtle changes that can lead to difficulties. It's important to identify factors - such as inner ear problems, illnesses, medications, changes to your gait, weight gain or loss, pain, or foot problems -- that might affect your balance, and look for solutions. How gait affects balance Gait encompasses the many distinct features that make up the way a person walks. Gait includes pacing, the length of the stride, the swing of the leg to put the foot forward, the shift of balance from one leg to the other, how the foot is planted (toe first, heel first), and how the weight is distributed through the step. Your gait is as distinctive as your voice and fingerprints, and even subtle changes to the way you walk can increase the risk of falls. Gait often changes with age. For example, healthy people...

By the time you reach maturity, the neural networks that govern cognitive control have been well honed. Years of learning and experience have conditioned your brain to discriminate between important information and distractions. In theory, your capacity for focus and concentration should be at its best.  But the variables of daily life will inevitably throw obstacles in your path. To stay at the top of your game, it's important to recognize and address the physical and emotional factors that interfere with your focus and concentration. Also remember that your brain is a flesh-and-blood organ. What's happening in your body -- from aging to diseases to lifestyle factors such as sleep and alcohol use - will play a key role in your ability to pay attention and focus. So will the neurochemical fluctuations that govern your mood. Let's take a closer look at one of the things that can cause you to lose focus.  Digital distractions Love it or hate it, we live in the digital age and...

Everyone has the occasional "senior moment." Maybe you've gone into the kitchen and can't remember why, or can't recall a familiar name during a conversation. Memory lapses can occur at any age, but aging alone is generally not a cause of cognitive decline. When significant memory loss occurs among older people, it is generally not due to aging but to organic disorders, brain injury, or neurological illness. Studies have shown that you can help prevent cognitive decline and reduce the risk of dementia with some basic good health habits: staying physically active getting enough sleep not smoking limiting alcohol to no more than one drink a day eating a Mediterranean style diet. Memory and other cognitive changes can be frustrating, but the good news is that, thanks to decades of research, you can learn how to get your mind active. There are various strategies we can use to help maintain cognitive fitness. Here are several you might try.  1. Keep learning A higher l...