Good morning and welcome to agebuzz… Headlining today’s topics:

-Get On Your Feet: Exercises For Better Aging

-Hunger Pains: The Prevalence of Malnutrition In Older Adults

-What’s App: A New Online Club For Older Tech Users

-View Finder: Virtual Reality Headsets In Nursing Homes

-Life & The Pursuit of Happiness: The 75 Year Harvard Study of Adult Development

-All The Single Ladies: Living the 100+ Years Life

-The Last Word

Get On Your Feet: Exercises For Better Aging: It’s been said that sitting is the new smoking: if you’re not up and moving, your health may be at risk. But how do you know how much activity you need and what’s the best exercise for your particular circumstance?  Professional trainers and others schooled in kinesiology (the study of human movement) have a pretty clear understanding of what types of exercise and movement are essential to keep joints flexible and muscles strong as we age. Curious as to their advice? Get out your sweatpants and Read This.

Hunger Pains: The Prevalence of Malnutrition In Older Adults: It’s commonly known that the body needs vitamins and nutrients to work effectively and stay healthy. Often we can just feel that things are off when we haven’t been eating well. But how do we know if others are nutritionally depleted or even malnourished: is it always obvious to spot? Apparently not, as the Alliance For Aging Research describes in its new short video, “Malnutrition: A Hidden Epidemic In Older Adults.” Estimates are that one out of every two older adults may confront malnutrition, due to such factors as chronic health conditions, difficulty eating, metabolism changes or other hidden dangers. To learn more about the risks, symptoms and ways to address malnutrition in older adults, Watch This. 

What’s App: A New Online Club For Older Tech Users: How many of us have been humbled by the ease and speed with which young tech users handle their devices while we fumble to figure out even basic steps? With technology constantly changing and new options surfacing daily, it’s very hard to feel capable and competent with new technology.  But instead of giving up in frustration, consider this: The website Tech Enhanced Life has created a “Useful Apps Club.” Specifically designed for older, less adept tech users, this online club will help you identify, and learn how to use, tools and applications for your smartphone or tablet. For a modest monthly fee, you’ll have access to up to date expertise and easy to understand explanations. Sound intriguing? Turn on your phone and Read This. 

View Finder: Virtual Reality Headsets In Nursing Homes: Imagine spending months or years confined to an assisted living facility, with little stimulation and few outside visitors. Then imagine how it would feel to suddenly travel to Paris or back to your childhood home? Unbelievable? Exciting? That is the possibility opening up with the introduction of virtual reality headsets into the long term care. Two graduate students from MIT are betting the stimulation of allowing seniors in long term care to travel (virtually) back in time or to another place will be a positive and life-changing experience. Through their new startup, Rendever Health, they are developing programs for Oculus VR headsets specially designed for long term care residents. Imagine allowing a resident to (virtually) experience a far away wedding or other life milestone. Does it sound like this may shake things up in all too staid environments? That’s the goal: Read This. 

Life & The Pursuit of Happiness: The 75 Year Old Harvard Study of Adult Development: Since the late 1930’s researchers at Harvard have been studying two sets of men: those who were college students at Harvard and those from an economically disadvantaged neighborhood in Boston who had little in common with the students except age. Since their adolescence, these two groups have been studied to help determine whether there are factors in life that correlate with happier, healthier, longer lives. The study is still ongoing. Its current director, Robert Waldinger, recently gave a TED talk during which he described the surprising findings that researchers have uncovered as they look back on the lives of these now old men. Curious about the research outcomes? Watch This.

All The Single Ladies: Living the 100+ Years Life: While everyone seems to have an opinion on how to live a long life, those in the 100+ years category may be especially well positioned to offer some advice. And for at least some of these centenarians, their long lives owe much to their avoidance of one particular category of people. Which group do they consider hazardous to their health? Read This. 

THE LAST WORD: “My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She’s ninety-seven now, and we don’t know where the heck she is.” Ellen DeGeneres