With increasing age, painful joint problems and postural defects occur more frequently. During your Healthy and Active Aging check-up, we will discuss targeted, individualized training programs, nutritional concepts that effectively support joint health and counteract muscle mass loss and physical decline.
What is healthy aging?
Healthy aging aims at slowing the aging process and thereby extend people’s health and quality of life. Research has now identified various factors that delay aging and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
In addition to a comprehensive physical exam, we also assess and integrate the following science-based factors, which influence the aging process and overall health:
Physical activity
Cognition (memory skills)
To date, it is unclear to what extent dementia can be prevented. However, there are well-known risk factors that promote cognitive decline and also factors that have a significant protective effect. We will assess your personal risk profile and support you in how to avoid risk factors and how to integrate protective concepts in your everyday life.
Reserves
An important principle of the Healthy and Active Aging check-up is the assessment of reserves in all of the important systems of the biopsychosocial model. The relevant literature shows that having a “stockpile of reserves” in these systems makes it easier to compensate for stress factors and avoid reaching threshold zones, which result in irreversible damage. We will also discuss these aspects during the consultation.
Diet
During the Healthy and Active Aging check-up, we will assess your dietary pattern and individual nutrients, relate your current diet to scientific risk profiles and support you to optimize the potential of a healthy diet according to the evidence-based recommendations. We work with the recommendations by the nutrition team at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, headed by Professor Walter C. Willett. Prof. Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, who is the Director of the Healthy & Active Aging Check-Up, was faculty at Harvard Medical School from 2002 to 2005, and carries a Doctoral Degree from the Dept. of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health.
Psyche
As we age, psychological-emotional burdens are common and resources for coping with them maybe reduced. Alternatively, successful coping strategies and a pro-active positive mindset are maintained throughout life, support us to resolve challenges and are a key pillar for healthy aging. We assess these aspects in the Healthy and Active Aging check-up and support you in integrating simple personalized strategies for coping strategies and a positive mindset to support your health.
Social issues
Both supportive social interactions with close friends or family members (personal connectedness) and social participation have been shown to promote healthy aging on multiple levels and are among the most important evidence-based dimensions of this process.
