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Originally posted at: Crystal Kung Minkoff’s White Ruffle Off The Shoulder Dress

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Aging fearlessly in an ever-advancing modern world requires many inputs – a sensible diet, routine physical exercise, medical maintenance and smart financial planning, to name a few. But none of these efforts are successful without a command of technology, making efforts to stay on top of it one of the single most important applications adults can make to their second-half equation.

According to a 2023 AARP study, technology use by older Americans is trending. The study reported eight in 10 respondents said, “technology has become an integral part of their life” and that they use it to communicate with caregivers, family, and friends. Of those who responded, the report also showed:

• 86% own a smartphone
• 70% own a smart television
• 59% use a tablet
• 28% own a wearable device
• 94% text
• 88% email
• 74% are on social media
• 67% video chat
• over 80% stream entertainment into their home.

Being technology-savvy during the senior experience also has financial, health and safety benefits. Technology is a part of making medical appointments, receiving health information, providing security to the home, paying bills, banking, investing, researching and planning major life events. And perhaps most importantly, technology is a key ingredient when it comes to connecting with and staying close to younger family members and friends – the folks who are essential to managing and supporting us senior adults during our Golden Years.

Technology is part of everything that is important in life!

So how does a smart older adult keep up with it all – especially when technology changes day to day, sometimes minute by minute? The short answer is – you don’t have to be an expert. You just have to be open to new ideas, learn a few new habits and maintain fluency in the technology resources that are aligned with your personal needs and uses, and those of your loved ones. Here are five suggestions on how to stay tech-savvy during the second half of life.

Poll Your Friends and Family About Communication and Social Media Resources They Use Regularly and Begin Your Self-Education in Those Spaces

Part of your technology education goal is to establish reliable connections with others. That begins by understanding what tools people in your community are using. According to the AARP study, “the most popular social media platforms among adults 50 and over are Facebook and YouTube. Use of Instagram increased from 24% in 2021 to 28% in 2022 among this age group; TikTok use also rose, from 10% to 15%. More than 80% engage in at least some form of streaming for entertainment, and 65% do so on a smart TV.”

Maybe it’s a similar course in your corner of the world. But you’ll never know until you ask. Once you have a clearer idea of where your people are gathering, communicating and being entertained online, learn what it will take to make room for yourself on those platforms.

Build a Presence on Social Media

The next step is to create accounts for yourself in these spaces. Begin with Facebook and Instagram. Facebook continues to be a popular platform for older adults and is a great place to keep up with birthdays, celebrate friends’ successes and share news and photos.

Instagram is more image-based and is a fun place for adults to sharpen their photo editing skills and visual design. The only way to navigate these platforms successfully is to tap, try and post your way through the process. There is no “doing it right” or best course protocol.

Fluency in these areas happens organically and with practice. Social media is more fun and effective when you make an effort to friend, connect and engage with others. Once you get the hang of it, you will build a comfort level with your activity and enjoy the relationships that begin flourishing on the line.

Find a Willing Teenager to Acclimate You to New Applications and Digital Resources and Keep You Abreast of New Trends

Teenagers are the secret sauce for success when it comes to cooking up a zesty technology education. They know it intimately and naturally. Find a patient young person who will help direct you on the ins and outs of tech resources.

Then practice what you learn and celebrate their assistance and your newfound awareness with some spending money or a treat they love. The double-whammy is you get to spend time and advance connections with someone you adore.

Discover What Communication Tools Work Best for You and Master Them – But Be Open to Learning Tools That Work Best for Others in Your Circle

Whether you’re a CB radio person or a landline gal, know how your communication tool works and how to integrate others into it. But don’t be a my-way-or-the-highway curmudgeon. While you may be proficient in your comms, it may not align at all with others in your circle and as such, you should be open to using other communication tools that work best for all.

Invest and Stay Current in Home Entertainment Technology and Digital News Sourcing

The internet, email, social media and digital entertainment programs are increasingly your only sources for entertainment, learning and news-sourcing so make sure you always know how to receive it, or you will be bored and misinformed and otherwise left out of life. This is not good for your cognition, mental health or social connections.

Attend Technology Classes – Virtual or In-Person – Offered by Local Libraries, Colleges and Small Businesses

Many colleges, libraries and nonprofit organizations offer technology courses that can help older adults stay current in technology resources and other applications. And most are free! Keep your eyes open on social media for new opportunities to learn.

Have a Positive and Fluid Attitude Toward Technology

What you learn about technology in one day will evolve and/or change completely the next. Expect this and keep moving.

Why does digital fluency compute and why should you be hip to it? Increasingly, technology connects and sustains all of us – in almost every area of life and in most every community around the world. Being afraid of or reluctant toward technology doesn’t do you or your loved ones any favors. Embracing new digital tools and integrating them into your life is empowering for everyone.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How are you exploring and expanding your fluency in technology tools, social media and communication? Have you learned to navigate a new device or software lately? Where did you look for study resources, or did you ask someone to help you?

A friend whom I hadn’t seen for a few weeks greeted me with these words: “Every time I see you, you’re taller.“ You may expect to hear that when you’re seven or 17, but I’m in my 70s. I couldn’t help feeling smug.

I decided
to do some research to understand why I wasn’t shrinking like all the other
seniors I know. Here’s what I found.

Is It Normal to Lose Height as You Get Older?

Most
authorities agree it is normal for one’s body to shrink with age.

According
to UAMS Health: “Men can
gradually lose an inch (2.5 cm) between the ages of 30 to 70, and women can
lose about two inches (5 cm). After the age of 80, it’s possible for both men
and women to lose another inch (2.5 cm).”

The
Cleveland Clinic attributes this to the fact that “the
discs between your spine’s vertebrae flatten, your muscles start to lose
mass, and the spaces between your joints narrow.”

How Much Height Loss Is Abnormal?

However, if
you’ve lost three or four inches, that could mean you have osteoporosis and so
need to consult a medical practitioner. Rheumatologist Dr. Abby G. Abelson, MD,
FACR from the Cleveland Clinic says:

“Certainly,
losing a half-inch or three quarters of an inch may be normal, but I’ve seen
patients who say they’ve lost two, three, or four inches in height, and they
thought that was a natural consequence of aging. But it’s not.”

How to Prevent Height Loss as You Age

So, it may
be normal, but is it preventable?

The
solution for preventing that normal shrinking (not the one caused by
osteoporosis) is very clear and involves several strategies:

Get Enough Vitamin D

Mention of
Vitamin D automatically brings our thoughts to sunlight. If you spend a lot of
time indoors, a vitamin D supplement may be necessary. If you live in a country
that doesn’t see much sunlight in winter, you will probably need to take a
vitamin D supplement during that time.

Eat Calcium Rich Foods

Calcium is
the number one mineral for bone density. It’s best to take it with food,
because many calcium supplements contain relatively indigestible forms of
calcium.

Aerobic Exercise

Exercise,
particularly the aerobic kind, is an important ingredient to a strong body.

One
Israeli study measured 2,000 men and women ages 35
to 55 in 1965, and then again in 1995. Those who engaged in moderately vigorous
aerobic activity, even if they started after age 40, lost only half as much
height as those who stopped exercising in middle age or never exercised at all.

Weight Training

Weight training
can help you keep good posture through maintaining muscle mass. I particularly
recommend banded face pulls
as an important part of your exercise routine. You can even do these easily at
home if you buy a set of resistance bands, which are very cheap.

This
exercise works the shoulder and the back, so it helps maintain your posture. Don’t
be afraid of lifting weights, as there are
so many advantages not just in terms of height.

Here’s My Secret

I measured
my height a couple of months ago. If anything, I’m about half an inch (1.25 cm)
taller than I was in my 20s. So not only haven’t I shrunk, I’ve actually increased
my height. So, what’s going on?

My friend
who commented on my height went on to say: “It must be all this gym stuff
you’re doing.” I think she’s right, plus the nutrient-rich
plant-based diet I follow. I also use my bike as my
main means of transport, cycling 30–40
miles (48–64
km) a week.

We often
think we need to drink cow’s milk to get enough calcium, but in fact there are
good vegan sources in green leafy vegetables, almonds, sesame seeds (and so
tasty tahini spread), dried figs, chia seeds and pulses (legumes).

All of
these foods are packed with other nutrients as well. So, in addition to getting
the calcium you need, you’ll be enjoying a whole range of phytonutrients to
support your body and well-being.

You may be
thinking that you are too old to
go to the gym, but think again.

I feel this simple measure – my height now compared with what it was in my 20s – is another indication that I have an abundantly healthy lifestyle (which I proudly document on my Instagram account) that brings along many other benefits.

It is normal for most people to lose height as they get older. This is because they don’t eat a nutrient-dense diet and they don’t maintain their muscle mass through weight training and other fitness activities. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been that keen on being normal.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How
has your height changed with age? What are you doing to maintain your posture?
Do you think it’s possible to reverse the height loss process? Please share in
the comments below!

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