Being more social can help older adults live longer
| Feb 21, 2019, 11:07 IST
With the onset of technology, people have become vastly unsocial. And while young people of this new generation are used to such changes, the elderly come from a time when being social was put on top of everything else. A recent study has found that being more social can actually help older adults live longer. It found that these people were more likely to have better emotional well-being as well as better physical activity.
The study found that older adults who interacted with family members, friends, acquaintances, casual friends, service providers and even strangers were more likely to spend less time lying around, feel more positive and spend more time doing physical activities like walking. More than 300 adults over the ages of 65 were surveyed for the study. Factors such as age, race, gender, ethnicity and marital status were also considered.
“Adults often grow less physically active and more sedentary as they age, and these behaviours pose a risk factor for disease and death,” said a researcher. “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." Well, this certainly proves how beneficial it can be to socialise more often. Stay tuned for more updates.
The study found that older adults who interacted with family members, friends, acquaintances, casual friends, service providers and even strangers were more likely to spend less time lying around, feel more positive and spend more time doing physical activities like walking. More than 300 adults over the ages of 65 were surveyed for the study. Factors such as age, race, gender, ethnicity and marital status were also considered.
“Adults often grow less physically active and more sedentary as they age, and these behaviours pose a risk factor for disease and death,” said a researcher. “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." Well, this certainly proves how beneficial it can be to socialise more often. Stay tuned for more updates.