Ken Martens, 79, spreads chalk on his hands and prepares to exercise. He deadlifts 230 pounds and benches about 120 pounds.
Looking at him today, you wouldn’t guess he almost died.d last year.
After a series of blackouts and crashes, wWhen he was rushed to the hospital in February 2024, where he learned his heart was failing. Martens now has a pacemaker, which sends electrical impulses to his heart 24/7. And after months of working out and socializing at Winnipeg’s One Family Fitness Center, he feels like a new man.
“I feel like my health is better or better than ever,” he said.
According to researchers, its story is not as strange as one might think. Many older people can and do recover from periods of poor health (about a quarter, one study suggests). recent canadian study published in the peer-reviewed megajournal PLOS One.
“A lot of people say that for older adults, it’s an inevitable decline until they become disabled and then they die,” said Esme Fuller-Thomson, one of the study’s co-authors.
“That was not our finding here. Many people who were struggling were able to regain optimal well-being,” said Fuller-Thomson, whoHe is also a teacher and the director of the Institute for Life Course and Aging at the University of Toronto.
The study followed more than 8,300 older Canadians with a variety of health problems, such as psychological problems, physical ailments or chronic pain, for three years. They found that those who were physically active, socially connected and psychologically well were more likely to recover.Return from a period of ill health or illness.
“We found it very encouraging and inspiring,” said Mabel Ho, a researcher affiliated with the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto and one of the co-authors of the study.
She says the study shows that people can take steps at any age to improve their health and quality of life.
“Staying physically active, not being obese, not smoking, getting enough sleep are things we can all do,” Ho said.
And those around the person who is recovering also play a role.
Patients recovering from colon cancer say that exercise helped them get better. Research shows it also lowers the risk of death and cancer recurrence.
The ‘epidemic’ of loneliness
Another factor related to how well older people recover from an injury or illness is their psychological and social well-being, researchers say.
“Having someone to talk to, someone to love you, someone to confide in, that social connection is also very important,” Ho said.
Study participants who did not have strong friendships or relationships fared poorly, and fewer than one in 10 recovered.
“Loneliness is an epidemic among older adults,” Fuller-Thomson said.
She is especially concerned about two groups: those who have recently retired and those who have been widowed.
“The workplace, at times, has been the primary place for social connections. And widows and widowers tend to struggle,” Fuller-Thomson said. “Because not only did they lose their best friend, sometimes they lost their social coordinator.”
Greg Karman, 63, is going through that pain right now. After his recent retirement, he lost his wife of 36 years in September. But less than a week after his death, he found himself back at the gym where they were lifting weights together.
“I can disconnect from the rest of the feelings and exercise for a few hours; it’s part of the [grieving] process,” he said.
Exercise helps, but so do people, says Karman.
Everyone at the gym knew his wife, Manny Martins-Karman. Now she makes more of an effort to meet her gym friends and stick to that social network.
“Everyone here supports us very much.”
Having access to psychological support can also help people recover from difficult periods, says Fuller-Thomson.
Some studies have noted that psychological treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, can be effective for older adults struggling with depression, anxiety, or even insomnia.
Newfoundland and Labrador seniors advocate Susan Walsh released a new report Thursday titled An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure. Walsh says planning ahead before a person’s health worsens is key to determining their future.
Check on your loved ones
Dr. Samir Sinha, a geriatrician at Sinai Health in Toronto, says he sometimes hears pessimism from his patients when they realize how quickly they can lose function as they age.
“People say, ‘Well, I’m old, so I don’t know if I can really get back what I lost.’ It’s incredibly demoralizing when people see how quickly they can lose function,” said Samir, who was not involved in the study.
This study reminds people that they can be resilient in some way, no matter their age, Sinha says.
“It’s amazing when you can help change people’s attitudes and remind them that there are a lot of things they can do,” he said. “You can give people hope.”
Sinha says Thanksgiving is a good time to check in on loved ones, offer support and remind older relatives that they’re not alone.
“I think Thanksgiving is a great time where we get together, see how we’re doing in person, and then really [provide] encouragement and support to our loved ones.”
