acquaintances

Having a wide circle of friends and acquaintances keeps seniors active, a new study

Friends certainly make life better - and they, and even acquaintances, might make life longer, too, new research suggests.  

A wide, diverse social network keeps older adults more active and happier, both of which could help them live longer, according to the new University of Texas, Austin study. 

As people grow old their lives have a tendency to become more sedentary and solitary. 

But physical activity has been shown time and time again to preserve heart and over all health - key factors to a living well for longer. 

The first-of-its-kind study found that seniors who interact with lots of different types of people - including friends, family, acquaintances, service providers and even strangers are more likely to be up, out, about and physically active. 

Having more interactions with a diverse set of family, friends, acquaintances and strangers keeps seniors more active and healthy, a new University or Texas, Austin, study suggests 

Aging is inevitable, but frailty can largely be prevented. 

The US Surgeon General recommends that older people get moderate exercise, every day if at all possible. 

Nearly 30,000 American adults over 65 die as a direct result of a fall in a year. 

And even if they survive the fall, their risks of dementia and death increase in the aftermath. 

But physical activity keeps bones and muscles stronger and helps to keep balance and stability intact longer, all of which helps older people to stay on their feet or sustain fewer injuries if they do fall. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults over 65 get at least two-and-a-half hours of moderate-intensity exercise - via activities like brisk walking - per week. 

But that's easier said than done. 

'It is difficult to convince people to go to the gym or commit to work out on a regular basis,' said Dr Karen Fingerman, a professor of human development and family sciences at UT Austin. 

'But they may be willing to reach out to acquaintances, attend an organized group event, or talk to the barrista who serves them at their favorite coffee shop.' 

Social interactions themselves have health benefits, such as limiting stress and, more obviously, preventing loneliness, which we now know also increases the risk of death.  

For optimal socialization benefits, however, seniors have to look beyond family time to activities outside of the house. 

The UT Austin researchers monitored more than 300 seniors, logging their steps and physical activities using digital fitness monitors and quizzing them every three hours about what they'd been up to. 

They found that it wasn't just more social interactions that got seniors moving, but more different kinds of social interactions and activities. 

'Older adults may be able to be more sedentary with their close friends and family -- sitting and watching TV or otherwise lounging at home,' said Dr Fingerman. 

'But to engage with acquaintances, older adults must leave the house, or at least get up out of their chair to answer the door.' 

The more time and the more types of people seniors saw and engaged with throughout the day, the more steps they took and exercise they got. 

So, in a way, spending time with local acquaintances or even strangers goes further to help an over-65 stay active and healthy than sharing activities with family and close friends do. 

'The results show us that these routine encounters have important benefits for activity levels and psychological well-being,' said study co-author Dr Debra Umbrson, a professor of sociology at UT Austin.  

Interacting With More People is Shown to Keep Older Adults More Active

It’s been said that variety is the spice of life, and now scientists say variety in your social circle may help you live longer. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have found that older adults who spend more time interacting with a wide range of people were more likely to be physically active and had greater emotional well-being.

In a paper out Feb. 20 in the Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, researchers found that study participants who interacted more with family members and close friends, as well as acquaintances, casual friends, service providers and strangers were more likely to have higher levels of physical activity, less time spent sitting or lying around, greater positive moods and fewer negative feelings. It is the first study to link social engagement with physical activity throughout the day.

“Adults often grow less physically active and more sedentary as they age, and these behaviors pose a risk factor for disease and death,” said Karen Fingerman, a professor of human development and family sciences at UT Austin and the director of the university’s new Texas Aging & Longevity Center. “It is difficult to convince people to go to the gym or commit to work out on a regular basis. But they may be willing to reach out to acquaintances, attend an organized group event, or talk to the barista who serves them at their favorite coffee shop. Socializing in these contexts also can increase physical activity and diverse behaviors in ways that benefit health without necessarily working up a sweat.”

The researchers asked study participants about their activities and social encounters every three hours for about a week. Participants also wore electronic devices to monitor their physical activity. Fingerman and the team observed that during the three-hour periods when participants were engaging with a greater variety of social partners, they reported engaging in a greater variety of activities such as leaving the house, walking, talking with others, or shopping. They also engaged in more objectively measured physical activity, and less time being sedentary.

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. Researchers had not examined physical activity or the benefits of more peripheral social ties.

This study showed those acquaintances or peripheral ties may encourage older adults to be more physically active, a key factor that has been shown to contribute to physical and emotional health, as well as cognitive ability.

“Older adults may be able to be more sedentary with their close friends and family — sitting and watching TV or otherwise lounging at home,” Fingerman said. “But to engage with acquaintances, older adults must leave the house, or at least get up out of their chair to answer the door.”

The study included more than 300 adults over 65 years old who lived in the Austin metro area and controlled for factors such as age, race, gender, marital status, education and ethnicity.

“Prior research on aging has focused almost entirely on the benefits of social connection with close social ties such as a spouse or an adult child,” said co-author Debra Umberson, sociology professor and director of UT Austin’s Population Research Center. “This new research relies on truly novel data that capture both the amount and quality of contact with all types of people that the elderly encounter throughout the day — and the results show us that these routine encounters have important benefits for activity levels and psychological well-being. This new information suggests the importance of policies and programs that support and promote routine and informal social participation.”

The research was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Graduate student Meng Huo of The University of Texas at Austin and Susan T. Charles professor of psychology of the University of California at Irvine contributed to the study.

Being Socially Active Helps Older Folk Age Well

No result found, try new keyword!Older people who spend more time with family members, close friends, acquaintances, casual friends and even strangers were more likely to be physically active, spend less time sitting or lying around.