ElderAuthority.com

Johanna Quaas…So, what have YOU done lately?

 
A reader sent the attached video of  87-year-old gymnast Johanna Quaas to me.

Johanna Quaas appeared in her first competition in 1934.
In 1945 she finished her job training as gymnastics coach.
She co-authored the gymnastics text book Gerätturnen.
In 1961, she also coached gymnasts, including two women who were later nominated to start at the 1964 Summer Olympics.
In 1982, at age 57, Quaas returned to training and won at the VII. Turn-und Sportfest der DDR in Leipzig.… More

Wheelchair Cheating is Elder Abuse

What is Wheelchair Cheating?
We have all seen them.  It is even tempting to become one of them: A passenger arrives at the airline terminal and requests a wheelchair.  That passenger is pushed to the front of the check-in line, is screened immediately, and then hops out of the chair, grab his or her bag and hustles off.  Wheelchair attendants call these passengers, “miracles.”
In another scenario, your flight arrives at the gate and you join the long line of bedraggled… More

Jobs with Elderly: Personal Trainer

Winning the War Against Frailty
Ray Clark is 102 years old, but his personal trainer is only 72.   Clark one of the “older old,” the growing population of people over 85.  Currently, older people comprise a bigger portion of the total number of clients of personal trainers .  Here is yet another growth industry associated with the aging.
Ray Clark never worked out in any systematic way until is son and daughter-in-law brought him to see their personal trainer (PT). … More

MLK and Inauguration Day Smile–with Oxytocin*

ElderAuthority wishes you all a groovy Martin Luther King Day and Inauguration Day with this feel good video.
* Oxytocin is the hormone which induces labor contractions and milk ejection in new mothers.  It lowers heart rate, depression, and stress hormones.  It is also the chemical behind the human-animal bond. Animal contact raises our oxytocin levels.
For more about oxytocin, read Made for Each Other: The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond, by Meg Daley Olmert.… More

Senior Humor as Health Aid

 
Centenarians often cite keeping a sense of humor is the secret to a long and happy life.  It certainly can’t hurt…
So….an old lady on a cruise orders a Scotch with two drops of water.  As the bartender gives her the drink she says, “I’m on this cruise to celebrate my 80th birthday and it’s today.”
The bartender says “Well, since it’s your birthday, I’ll buy you a drink. In fact, this one is on me.”… More

Senior STD Prevention

Good News/Bad News
The good news is that people over 50 want to have and can have happy sexual lives.  The bad news it that sexually transmitted disease (STD)—is on the rise among sexually active seniors.
Scary Stats for STDs and Senior Sex
The British Medical Journal published the following information that reveals a growing occurrence of diseases and infections .

80% of 50 to 90 years olds are sexually active.
Cases of sexually transmitted diseases have more than doubled… More

Sex Positions for Seniors

 
There are many reasons for seniors to continue having sex until the end of their lives. You can check out ElderAuthority’s Senior Sex Top 10 Benefits to get motivated. Some adjustments may need to be made, but if you want to start or keep having sex you just go ahead and Do It.
Adjust to Physical Changes
The human body goes through many changes as it begins to age with one of the drawbacks being that both women and men can experience a slow-down in their sexual drive.  The… More

Senior Sex Top 10 Benefits

Sex is good for us.  Here are ten reasons why.
#1 Reduces Stress, Improves Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
Sex moves major muscle groups, improves cardiovascular fitness, reduces stress, and burns calories.
Several studies suggest that having sex regularly can protect against cardiovascular problems. One British study found that men who reported having three or more orgasms per week experienced 50% fewer heart attacks than those who had fewer.
Diastolic blood pressure… More

Why Senior Sex Partners Have More Fun

Sexual for Life
Humans have sex for many purposes not related to reproduction. Sex is a way to express love and it also provides the feeling of security and reconfirms the feelings shared between people, regardless of age. Sex has also been shown to calm people in stressful periods. Sex has a symbolic value which is independent of age.
Sex between seniors is often considered taboo or is treated embarrassment and extra care. When we are younger, lust and procreation take top priority. … More

Longevity Factor: How Much Do You Sit?

Sitting Decreases Life Expectancy
A recently published study in the online journal, BMJ Open, links decreased life expectancy to sedentary behavior.

Sitting 3 hours per day, reduces life expectancy by two years.
Watching TV more than 2 hours per day, reduces life expectancy by another 1.4 years.
People who watch TV 4 hours a day are 46% more likely to die of any cause than people who watch less than 2 hours per day.
People watching TV 4 hours a day  are 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular… More