Maintaining Independence as You Age: A Starting Guide

What "independence" means here

Independence means being able to do the things that matter to you: getting around, looking after yourself, seeing friends, and making your own choices. Aging does bring changes, but many of the biggest threats to independence, such as falls and loss of muscle strength, have steps that can lower the risk. This page is an educational starting point, not medical advice. Evidence labels used here: established recommendation, promising but limited, mixed, insufficient evidence.

Where to start: three next steps

1. Add strength and balance to your week. NIA says muscle-strengthening exercises can help you stay independent and prevent fall-related injuries, and balance exercises help prevent falls. [1] Go to strength training and protein for older adults.
2. Make a short list of everything you take (prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbs) and show it to your pharmacist or doctor. NIA recommends telling your providers about all of them, including ones you use only sometimes. [2] See multiple medicines and supplement burden.
3. Check your hearing and eyes. NIA says even small changes in sight and hearing are linked to a higher risk of falls. [3] See hearing and vision changes.

The main areas

Other parts of independence

• Weight and appetite. Both being underweight and having a high BMI can raise health risks, and sudden unintended weight loss needs a medical check. [11] See appetite changes and unintended weight loss.
• Thinking and memory. Hearing loss is associated with a greater risk of dementia in older adults. [12] For memory concerns see Focus and Memory and brain-healthy habits.
• Bones. Osteoporosis often causes no symptoms until a bone breaks. [13] See osteoporosis and bone health.
• Walking. In a meta-analysis of 15 cohorts, more steps per day were associated with lower risk of death among adults 60 and older, up to roughly 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day. This is an association, not proof that walking more causes longer life. [14]

What not to rely on

Supplements are not a shortcut. NIA says that eating a variety of healthy foods is the best way to get nutrients, and that supplements may have unwanted effects or not work at all. [15] Claims about slowing aging are reviewed in NAD, NMN, resveratrol and longevity claims.

When to get help

See a health professional about a fall, new balance or mobility worries, unintended weight loss, hearing loss, or changes in thinking. [16] [11] The list of warning signs is on Healthy Aging: warning signs and when to get help.