Weekly Resource Roundup
Hearing Loss & Cognitive Decline
A 2011 study found that older adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop dementia than older adults with normal hearing. Adults with mild hearing loss are 2x more likely to develop dementia. Adults with moderate hearing loss are 3x more likely to develop dementia. Adults with severe hearing loss are 5x more likely to develop dementia.
Cognitive impairment has also been associated with hearing loss including forgetfulness, difficulty planning and making decisions, irritability and increased anxiety and depression.The earlier hearing loss symptoms are addressed the more likely we are to avoid irreversible damage.
How to Build Strength
Lifting weights doesn’t necessarily mean we’re building strength. If we are training for strength, it means a low volume. To build strength, a program needs to consist of of 3-6 repetitions for 3-6 sets with plenty of rest in between, usually 2-5 minutes. The weight should be heavy enough that 3-6 reps are all that can be accomplished and a longer rest period is needed before doing the next set. Strength training requires motor units to fire faster and produce more force. Both of these things decrease with age so the more we can do to combat the decline the better. Maintaining muscle mass and strength keeps us biologically young, regardless of our chronological age.
To Try
Take in the morning sunlight. Going outdoors in the morning sunlight reinforces our circadian rhythm and improves sleep. It’s best to go outside within an hour of waking up and not wear sunglasses or a hat so the eyes can get the full benefit of the sunlight. This works even on cloudy days.
Resources to Stay Active
Bulletproof Ankles for Hiking and Walking Petra Fisher Movement shares a simple routine to maintain or improve ankle mobility for better walking.
Worth Reading & Doing
Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies Quiz.This quiz will give you insight into how you respond to inner expectations (like New Year’s resolutions) and outer expectations (such as work deadlines). Knowing your tendency is helpful for achieving your goals and engaging with others.
Quote
Most other resources on which we rely as individuals —such as food, money, and electricity —are things that facilitate life, and in some cases it’s possible to live without them, at least for a while. Attention, on the other hand, just is life your experience of being alive consists of nothing other than the sum of everything to which you pay attention.
At the end of your life, looking back, whatever compelled your attention from moment to moment is simply what your life will have been. So when you pay attention to something you don’t especially value, it’s not an exaggeration to say that you’re paying with your life. —Oliver Burkeman Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
Inspiration
How to move better with a smile. (4 minute video)
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