Our Aging Bodies

People in developed countries are living longer and, just as the aged population around the world is steadily growing, the number of adults eighty-five and older in the United States is projected to quadruple to twenty-one million people by 2050. The aging of our population has huge implications for baby boomers and their children, and has generated a greater interest in the causes and effects of aging. Our Aging Bodies provides a clear, scientifically based explanation of what happens to all the major organ systems and bodily processes—such as the cardiovascular and digestive systems—as people age. The first section is an overview of secondary aging—changes that occur with age that are related to disease and the environment—and include the effect of such things as diet, humor, and exercise. Readers will also learn about primary aging—intrinsic changes that occur with the aging of specific organs and body systems (including the prostate, the heart, the digestive system, and the brain). Throughout the book, Gary F. Merrill weaves in personal anecdotes and stories that help clarify and reinforce the facts and principles of the underlying scientific processes and explanations. Our Aging Bodies is accessible to a general reader interested in the aging phenomenon, or baby boomers wanting to be more informed when seeing their doctor and discussing changes to their bodies as they age.

Written by a chiropractor and alternative health practitioner with over 30 years of experience, this book addresses health and wellbeing of body, mind and spirit for an aging population (50+). Uniquely, this material is presented through the lens of Clinical Kinesiology. This simple self-help tool of muscle-testing allows readers to find out what their own body knows and needs. They learn that the body “speaks” through either strong or weak muscle responses to questions asked or situations presented, and are instructed in how to do this simple self-testing for a variety of health issues. Stories of other seniors who have used this methodology to their benefit provide a platform for acceptance and motivation, and each chapter contains specific recommendations for its use. How to become a “wise elder” is another unique emphasis of this book. The author encourages us to learn from many different cultures and traditions a more life-positive view of aging. In fact, she coins the word “Youthing” to describe such a re-orienting of mind, purpose and activity toward optimum vibrancy and flexibility, leading to longevity. Stories of successful transitions into elderhood give hope to those who are confused or anxious about becoming older. Since the body’s health is intimately related to that of mind and emotions, a Youthing approach will be characterized by equanimity, gratitude, forgiveness and dynamic relationship with others. Her many exercises and suggestions are designed to encourage readers to value themselves as worthwhile wisdom contributors. “You can assume the stance of a respected elder,” she declares, “even if the surrounding culture does not immediately support that.” In other words, readers are invited to “be the change” they want to effect. Far from being a scholarly or scientific text, Your Aging Body Can Talk is written for immediate use by maturing practitioners or laypersons. Throughout the book, the concerns of an aging population are consistently placed in the forefront: How to develop an anti-inflammation diet and lifestyle The factors that affect longevity How to build cognitive health and brain vibrancy How to find or refine your life’s purpose, no matter what your age Why detoxification is so essential, at any age.

What does it mean to be able to move? The Aging Body in Dance brings together leading scholars and artists from a range of backgrounds to investigate cultural ideas of movement and beauty, expressiveness and agility. Contributors focus on Euro-American and Japanese attitudes towards aging and performance, including studies of choreographers, dancers and directors from Yvonne Rainer, Martha Graham, Anna Halprin and Roemeo Castellucci to Kazuo Ohno and Kikuo Tomoeda. They draw a fascinating comparison between youth-oriented Western cultures and dance cultures like Japan’s, where aging performers are celebrated as part of the country’s living heritage. The first cross-cultural study of its kind, The Aging Body in Dance offers a vital resource for scholars and practitioners interested in global dance cultures and their differing responses to the world's aging population.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NATIONAL BESTSELLER SILVER MEDALIST for the 2022 Axiom Business Book Award for Success/Motivation/Coaching SHORTLISTED for the 2021 Science Writers and Communicators of Canada Book Award Author of the iconic bestsellers This Is Your Brain on Music and The Organized Mind, Daniel Levitin turns his keen insights to what happens in our brains as we age, why we should think about health span, not life span, and, based on a rigorous analysis of neuroscientific evidence, what you can do to make the most of your seventies, eighties, and nineties today no matter how old you are now. Successful Aging uses research from developmental neuroscience and the psychology of individual differences to show that sixty-plus years is a unique developmental stage that, like infancy or adolescence, has its own demands and distinct advantages. Levitin looks at the science behind what we all can learn from those who age joyously, as well as how to adapt our culture to take full advantage of older people's wisdom and experience. Throughout his exploration of what aging really means, Levitin reveals resilience strategies and practical, cognitive enhancing tricks everyone should do as they age. The book is packed with accessible and discussable takeaways, providing great material for reading groups and media coverage. Successful Aging inspires a powerful new approach to how readers think about our final decades, and it will revolutionize the way we plan for old age as individuals, family members, and citizens within a society where the average life expectancy continues to rise.

Does a longer life mean a healthier life? The number of adults over 65 in the United States is growing, but many may not be aware that they are at greater risk from foodborne diseases and their nutritional needs change as they age. The IOM's Food Forum held a workshop October 29-30, 2009, to discuss food safety and nutrition concerns for older adults.

Western thought traditionally divides the human being into a body-mind dualism; the first examines the physical body and the second focuses upon psychological and social aspects of aging. Christopher A. Faircloth's edited volume of original pieces attempts to bridge this rift: reinserting the physical back into gerontology's study of aging. Faircloth organizes this text around everyday experience and the social and personal impact of its imagery, while concentrating on three areas of substantive concern: medicalization, gender/sexuality, and the body as consumer.