Visceral Fatness and “BrainAge”
There is little doubt that our brain changes as we age, with changes in structure that contribute to cognitive decline over time. However, the degree of change is highly variable across individuals in terms of its onset, rate and magnitude. How should we behave, and what should we change to ensure that our brains stay […]
Whole Body Fatigability as a Measure of Mortality Risk
A common definition of fatigue is a “subjective lack of physical and/or mental energy perceived to interfere with usual or desired activities.” Fatigue is a typical response to physical or mental exertion such as exercise, challenging physical tasks, or a long day’s work or dealing with emotionally taxing situations. Yet, everyday fatigue is a common […]
How to Prescribe Exercise for Brain Health
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are among the world’s foremost health and economic challenges, impacting over 55 million people worldwide and costing more than 1.3 trillion U.S. dollars in 2019 alone. With no imminent cure, there is an urgent need for interventions that reduce dementia risk in healthy older adults. Physical exercise is one of the greatest […]
Working Across Generations
In a hurried culture that places a high value on youthfulness, outcomes and technology, there are a few key perspectives fitness professionals should have when working with older population clients to honor their time, contributions and needs.
Prostate Cancer: A Survivor’s Perspective
September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, and for men living in the U.S., one in eight will be diagnosed with the disease at some point, including more than 200,000 this year. If you are an African American man, the likelihood is one in five, and if you have a family history of prostate cancer, the […]
Working with Older Adults? Don’t Skimp on Strength Training
“Garrett, I’m too old to strength train.” If I had a penny for every time I heard this statement, I’d be a rich man! Really, I would. More recently: “Dr. Kellar, aren’t some people too old to do strength training?” What? No! A person is never — yes, never — too old to strength train! As one […]
Muscle Strength Genotype Predicts Functional Capacity at Older Age
Throughout the lifespan, maximum hand grip strength reflects general health and vigor and is therefore commonly suggested to be a biomarker of aging. Although aging results in declines in muscle strength, individual strength changes follow a predictable pattern, as shown by strong correlations between measurements carried out decades apart. Family and twin studies have also […]
A Sedentary Lifestyle Is Linked to Functional Decline, But Any Movement Can Help
Technological advancements in the past 60 years have led to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Changes in transportation, communication, the workplace and domestic entertainment have fostered environments in occupational, home and social settings that now demand or encourage sedentary behavior throughout most of the day. In recent years, we have become more aware of the negative […]
Capitalizing on Accelerometry to Measure Performance Fatigability in Older Adults
Fatigability is not a new concept in the exercise physiology realm. Researchers have long paired physical activity measures with ratings of perceived exertion or contractions of isolated muscle groups during tasks to quantify self-reported or muscle fatigability. Of late, the term “fatigability” has evolved and is widely used in aging research to represent a whole-body trait of […]
Computational Neuroscience Approaches to Exercise Behaviors in Older Adults
Engagement in physical exercise has shown widespread benefits on cardiovascular, physical, emotional and cognitive health in older adults. However, initiating and sustaining an exercise routine over the long term (e.g., six months or more) is incredibly challenging. Our historical understanding of the factors that determine engagement in physical exercise comes from psychological and psychosocial theories, […]
