Lifestyle
Cycling can make seniors healthier and more independent − here’s how to design bikes and networks that meet their needs
Seniors are increasingly interested in cycling. Research identifies senior-friendly bike designs and infrastructure improvement needs to enhance physical activity and independence among older adults.
Most senior citizens get around in their daily lives by driving, walking or using public buses and subways. But many people in their 60s and 70s could potentially be interested in other options, such as cycling. At a time when cycling is growing in the U.S. and the overall population is aging, seniors’ preferences for bike designs and bike networks are very relevant.
Older people may have concerns about riding a two-wheeled bike if they are afraid of falling – a risk that increases with age and causes many seniors to become less active. Many cities and communities are working to create safer bike networks, but these are designed for young, physically fit bikers, who are less afraid to bike near cars and don’t need an occasional bathroom break.
Some seniors live in assisted living complexes or memory care facilities that have roads, sidewalks and paths for residents pushing walkers. However, these complexes don’t usually have bike storage rooms, bike loops or safe bike pathways to local parks and stores.
I am a researcher in architecture – with a focus on environment and behavior – and a senior, and I have studied bikes and bike networks for over 43 years. In my latest project, I worked with Seth Gale, a behavioral neurologist; Linda Mazie, a health and wellness coach who works with seniors; and Heidi Savage, a fitness director who also works with seniors, to learn from older people what kinds of bicycles and bike networks would help them stay active and independent through cycling. https://www.youtube.com/embed/vrrzFnzYUXI?wmode=transparent&start=0 In the Netherlands, where many people of all ages routinely ride bikes, local officials take a tour with older riders to identify spots that seniors find particularly unsafe on their route.
We found that a majority of the seniors whom we surveyed and who test-rode three bikes preferred a three-wheeled adult tricycle or a two-seat model that lets riders sit side by side. For infrastructure, their key requirements included bike loops, separation from cars and nearby bathrooms.
Benefits of biking for seniors
Many older people in the U.S. don’t get enough physical activity for healthy aging. A 2016 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than one-fourth of all adults over 50 did not engage in any physical activity outside of work. This share increased with age and was higher among people with chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and depression. Inactivity was significantly higher among women than men, and among Black and Hispanic seniors compared with white seniors.
Biking provides many health benefits, including cardiovascular exercise, stronger muscles, better coordination and lower stress levels. It also offers benefits that are particularly relevant for seniors. For example, one study found that cycling for at least one hour per week significantly improved older people’s balance, potentially making them less vulnerable to falls.
There also are findings suggesting that exercise may help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. For example, one study showed that when mice exercised on a wheel, their muscles produced irisin, a hormone that supports cognitive function. The irisin passed into their brain, improving memory and spatial awareness.
Senior-friendly bikes
For our study, we distributed surveys with pictures of senior-friendly bikes and questions about bike networks to 178 seniors in four senior communities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Participants ranked the pictures according to how well they liked the various bike designs and offered more comments while seeing the pictures on a large screen.
We also borrowed three senior-friendly bikes made by Van Raam, a Dutch company that designs bikes for a wide range of special needs. These models included:
- A three-wheeled bike for side-by-side riders who each have handlebars and who can pedal together while one steers.
- An adult tricycle with a back rest and low center of gravity.
- A two-wheeled bike with a low center bar that makes it easy to step through when getting on or off.
Fifty seniors at RiverWoods-Exeter, a senior living complex in New Hampshire, and Fox Hill Village, an independent living community for seniors in Westwood, Massachusetts, were invited to test-ride the three models and complete a survey about their experiences.
Designing bike networks for older riders
Based on photos, participants were most enthusiastic about the adult tricycle and also were interested in the two-seat three-wheeler. Adult tricycles are harder to pedal than bikes with two wheels, and rounding corners involves turning the handlebars without leaning, so these models have a learning curve. However, they offer stability, which clearly was important to the people in our study.
Among seniors who did test rides, the most popular model was the single-seat three-wheeled bike. Unlike a low recumbent bicycle, this bike’s seat is about as high as a chair, and unlike an adult tricycle, it has a back rest.
Participants’ second choice was the three-wheeled two-seater bike, which has seats with backs, arm rests and seat belts. Fewer participants were willing to test-ride the two-wheeled regular bike with a low center bar; those who tried it were already comfortable riding two-wheeled bikes.
Comments were enthusiastic, especially for the two-seater bike. Seniors wrote, “I like the social aspect and teamwork”; “I see this as an asset to our community”; and, simply, “Awesome!!!”
Some noted that the two-seater could work for seniors who were caregivers for their spouses. One husband wrote, “This would be great to ride with my wife, who hasn’t ridden a bike for 50 years.”
In response to survey questions about the most important features of a senior-friendly bike network, participants said they wanted to be able to bike for 30 minutes at a stretch, ride twice a week and have a bathroom available.
For a network added to their assisted living complexes, they wanted a cycling loop on-site; a route to a destination outside the complex; a smooth, flat riding surface with grass shoulders; and picnic tables and water nearby. Participants felt that cars traveled too fast in their residential complexes, so they wanted to ride on separated paths rather than on existing roads.
Our findings echo other studies that have shown that senior cyclists want to ride in protected bike lanes or separate paved paths, rather than in street traffic. Because many seniors have limited vision, another feature that can make bike paths safer for them is light-colored demarcation strips at the edges of the path to help older riders avoid veering off the main cycle path, especially at night.
Pedaling ahead
Here are the key steps that I believe would be required to develop findings like ours into scalable bicycling programs for seniors in the U.S.
Some seniors might appreciate having classes to relearn how to ride a two-wheeled bike, or to ride with another person on a two-seater model. Assisted living complexes could install bike storage sheds and buy several senior-friendly bikes for residents to ride.
Protected bike lanes could be made more senior-friendly by building them level with the adjoining sidewalk, so that a third wheel could rest on the edge of the parallel sidewalk. Lanes optimized for senior riders would be continuous and have bicycle traffic signals, raised crosswalks and nearby public bathrooms with signs leading to them.
Routes could run from residential neighborhoods to destinations such as coffee shops, post offices, grocery and drugstores, and parks. Destinations could provide space to park and lock the bikes while riders shopped or had coffee.
The U.S. has an aging population, and seniors’ health is an important concern for seniors themselves, their caregivers and taxpayers. There is strong evidence that increased bicycle use by seniors could help many people live healthier and more independent lives well into their golden years.
Anne Lusk, Lecturer in Urban Agriculture, Boston University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
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financial wellness
Informal safety nets help many Americans with expenses – people at all income levels benefit from this ‘financial interdependence’
Many Americans engage in informal financial support networks, reflecting cultural traditions and economic needs, which are becoming increasingly vital amid rising living costs and economic pressures.
Jeffrey Anvari-Clark, University of North Dakota
About 1 in 5 American adults regularly provide unpaid care or financial assistance to their adult relatives or friends. And about 1 in 7 young adults between the ages of 25 and 34 live with their parents.
But the true extent of support among Americans is deeper and broader.
From parents covering the cost of unexpected car repairs to colleagues raising funds for their co-workers’ medical expenses, Americans help each other in countless ways.
As a social work scholar who researches these patterns of what I call “financial interdependence,” I often observe transactions that challenge a common American narrative that most people in this country are handling their expenses on their own.
A long-standing tradition
The practice of sharing money with your friends and loved ones has deep roots in American society. Many Native American communities have traditions of sharing food and other resources with one another.
In the 19th century, mutual aid societies formed everywhere from Philadelphia to Florida. Many of them helped free Black people weather economic hardships. These organizations provided everything from unemployment assistance to burial expenses.
Today’s informal support networks echo these historical patterns.
In particular, many immigrant communities maintain traditional practices of collectively saving and lending money. Mexican American families often participate in “tandas,” which pool their savings to achieve financial goals or meet urgent needs. Similarly, West African and Caribbean communities in the U.S. organize “susu” groups, while many Chinese American communities form “hui” associations.
Local “hometown associations” additionally often offer both financial and social support to their members – aiding immigrant communities in the U.S. and people back in their homelands.
Everyone does it
These mutual support arrangements are very widespread and operate across all income levels, though they take different forms. They can be secular or religious. The true extent of this kind of activity is generally unknown.
Lower-income families often engage in frequent, smaller exchanges. They might share grocery costs, for example, or relatives may help one another out with the payment of large, unexpected bills.
Wealthier Americans tend to give larger amounts of money to extended family members, but less often. These might include a parent’s help with a down payment on a young adult’s first house or paying a portion of the cost of a grandchild’s college education.
Some families establish formal structures such as financial trusts or 529 educational savings accounts to make these transfers easier to complete and track. The number of people using 529 accounts has been increasing steadily, as states offer matching funds and tax incentives.
The nature of this financial support often reflects economic needs and cultural values. In many East Asian American communities, for example, adult children routinely provide financial support to their parents – as a cultural expectation.
Regardless of the community involved, technology has transformed how people share money with their friends and family.
Mobile payment platforms make it easier to split costs and send quick assistance. Money-transfer apps have normalized small-scale financial sharing among friends and family.
Online and social media platforms are used to gather resources for medical expenses, funerals or emergency needs. These tools extend traditional support networks beyond geographic boundaries.
Other kinds of support
Financial assistance can extend far beyond direct monetary help.
Families and communities might purchase bulk grocery items together to save money, or live together to manage rising housing costs. Some parents create informal child care cooperatives, while others coordinate care responsibilities for aging relatives with their extended families.
Financial education often emphasizes individual savings and budgeting. Yet, many Americans practice financial interdependence by managing their finances and making decisions in collaboration with others.
Addressing challenges
To meet today’s economic challenges, Americans are finding creative solutions through shared resources.
Young adults increasingly need more help to become homeowners than what they can get from a bank. The median home price has far outpaced wage growth, making family assistance crucial for many first-time buyers.
College costs have stabilized, albeit at high levels, leading more families to pool resources for educational support. This often creates long-term financial obligations across generations.
Medical expenses remain a leading cause of financial strain, pushing families to rely on each other to pay for health-related costs.
These support systems work at many levels, including family, community, the workplace and in government.
Some employers now offer emergency loan programs and matching funds for employee hardship. Some businesses create formal peer support systems for employees facing financial challenges.
A few states are also supporting family caregivers by providing tax credits to reimburse their out-of-pocket expenses.
Recognizing the financial burden of caregiving, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proposed a tax credit to support dependent respite services, nursing and transportation.
Some complications
While financial interdependence provides crucial assistance, it can also create challenges.
Financial responsibilities can strain family and friendship bonds. The provision of too much financial help can create or reinforce power imbalances within relationships. Some communities may not have enough money to be able to equally and effectively assist all members.
Clear communication and healthy boundaries can help manage these tensions.
As economic pressures mount for many American families, these informal financial support networks are growing more vital. Studies show that rising costs make financial stability increasingly difficult to achieve on your own.
Jeffrey Anvari-Clark, Assistant Professor of Social Work, University of North Dakota
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
STM Daily News is a vibrant news blog dedicated to sharing the brighter side of human experiences. Emphasizing positive, uplifting stories, the site focuses on delivering inspiring, informative, and well-researched content. With a commitment to accurate, fair, and responsible journalism, STM Daily News aims to foster a community of readers passionate about positive change and engaged in meaningful conversations. Join the movement and explore stories that celebrate the positive impacts shaping our world.
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adult relationships
‘For the very first time I really enjoyed sex!’ − how lesbian escort agencies became a form of self-care in Japan
The Lesbian Girls Club in Japan offers legal female-to-female sex services, addressing women’s unmet sexual desires while challenging traditional views on female sexuality and intimacy.
Marta Fanasca, Università di Bologna
In Japanese society, prostitution is often framed as a necessary evil – a way to maintain social harmony by providing men with an outlet for their pent-up sexual desires.
While there are a number of issues with this view – such as the implication that men are inherently unable to control their sexual impulses – it also has a critical flaw: It frames prostitution as something that only men want or need.
In Japan, female sexuality is often seen through the narrow lens of heterosexual romance and motherhood.
“Rezu fūzoku” upends this view.
Rezu fūzoku, which roughly translates to “lesbian sexual entertainment,” refers to agencies where female sex workers provide sex to female clients. And in Japan, it’s entirely legal. I began investigating female-to-female commercial sex and escort services in 2023. After initially studying the phenomenon of female-to-male crossdressers offering nonsexual, romantic dates to female clients, I decided to expand the investigation to focus on clients seeking sex and romance. The names of the sex workers and clients I interviewed in my research have been changed in this article to protect their anonymity.
Tapping into a niche market
Unlike in many countries that historically criminalized homosexual acts, Japan only briefly outlawed them in the 1870s, during an era of rapid Western-inspired legal reforms.
After that period, the country did not reintroduce laws criminalizing homosexual acts, allowing same-sex relationships to exist largely without legal interference – even if they remained frowned upon in Japanese society.
Furthermore, homosexual prostitution has never been illegal. Japan did enact a strict anti-prostitution law in 1956 that bans the practice, which it exclusively defines as penetrative, paid sex between a man and a woman. As a result, any paid-for activity that falls outside of this definition – such as homosexual sex – is not considered illegal.
For my research, I interviewed a man named Obō, the founder of the Lesbian Girls Club, an agency with branches in Osaka and Tokyo providing female sex workers for female clients.
Obō started out his career as a web developer but soon became burned out and disillusioned.
“I wanted to start my own business, and since I was building websites for several adult entertainment shops, I decided to try something similar. It quickly became clear that while the market was flooded with services for men, there were almost none for women.”
So Obō opened Lesbian Girls Club in 2007, an agency arranging meetups between sex workers and female clients in hotels, rather than at a brothel. Since then, it’s become an institution in Japan, with some of his original sex workers still working for Obō.
A diverse clientele
Initially a niche market, rezu fūzoku gained wider attention when the manga artist Nagata Kabi used Obō’s agency and later chronicled her experience in her work “My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness.”
The award-winning manga, which was also released in the U.S. and Europe, introduced the service to many Japanese women who hadn’t previously known about it.
Despite the term “rezu” – lesbian – in the name, Obō’s agency welcomes women of all sexual orientations.
“Some of our clients are lesbians,” he told me. “But many are straight, also married. Most are between 26 and 35 years old, though we also have clients in their 60s and 70s.”
Many Japanese women still find it difficult to explore their sexuality and express their sexual desires, even with their partners. This often leads to unsatisfactory sexual experiences, which can pave the way for sexless relationships– something which is increasingly commonplace in Japan and a situation that many users of rezu fūzoku services shared with me.
As Yuriko, a 35-year-old heterosexual client of rezu fūzoku, explained, “For the very first time I really enjoyed sex! Rezu fūzoku gave me the chance to try new things and to feel good.”
Sex is wellness
In my interviews, the term “iyashi” often popped up.
It means “healing” and refers to activities or services that provide relief from daily stress and negative feelings. Just as yoga classes or massages are seen as forms of iyashi, sex – especially commercial sex – is also branded this way in Japan.
“Men do not understand women and their bodies,” Yuriko said. “But sexuality is a fundamental part of life, and ignoring it only leads to frustration and dissatisfaction. Sex is iyashi.”
The use of this word shows how prostitution in Japan is not always viewed as something to be ashamed of but can also be seen as a form of self-care.
For instance, the practice of dispatching a sex worker to a hotel where she meets the client is called in Japanese “deriheru,” or delivery health, stressing the connection with the iyashi realm. Also, a 90-minute session with a professional sex worker for women is often called “wellness course,” which ties sex to physical and psychological well-being.
Sex workers themselves also emphasize the connection between their occupation and iyashi practices, often referring to themselves as “therapists” or “cast” and downplaying the sexual aspects of their work, instead highlighting the wellness-related ones. Aware of the positive impact their services have on women, many of them expressed pride in their work during our interviews.
“It’s rewarding,” Moe, who has been in the industry for six years, told me. “When a customer tells me she was really struggling but now feels she can try a little harder because we met, I feel glad I chose this job.”
Her colleague, Makiko, agreed. “I am proud of this job. It’s very important to me, and I believe it’s quite needed in society.”
Despite the widespread stigma against sex workers in Japanese society, the legal status of rezu fūzoku services offers employees greater protection and ensures clear working conditions.
And as a marker of how the industry has grown, Tokyo alone is currently home to over 10 rezu fūzoku agencies, according to my research.
‘A refuge for the heart’
Yet, despite the existence of services aimed at women’s sexual well-being, gender inequality remains rampant in Japan.
Women still face significant social and economic barriers. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Gender Gap Report, Japan ranks 118th out of 146 countries for gender equality and holds the lowest position among G7 nations.
By catering to women’s sexual desires outside of the traditional heterosexual framework, rezu fūzoku challenges conventional narratives about women’s sexuality. In a country that has been experiencing falling marriage and birth rates, listening to women and understanding their needs has become increasingly important.
This legal form of sex work clearly fills a need, offering women a safe place to try new things and entrust their sexual pleasure to an expert – who happens to be another woman. One thing that stood out in my research was how popular the service was among women in heterosexual relationships who seemed eager to explore desires that may be difficult to share with a partner.
But what female clients seek often goes beyond sex itself. Many women simply want intimacy – being hugged, cuddled and cared for in a way that is missing not only in the lives of single women but also in those of women in relationships.
“I use this service for comfort and healing,” said Sachi, a 42-year-old woman who’s married to a man. “It is a kind of refuge for the heart offering emotional richness.”
Marta Fanasca, Marie Curie Global Fellow, Università di Bologna
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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(Family Features) It may not be something you like to talk about, but if you have gastrointestinal (GI) problems, your symptoms may be far more common than you think. According to data from the American Gastroenterological Association, 60-70 million people living in the United States have gut health concerns.
Two common conditions are irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). They’re often confused for one another, but these are actually two different GI disorders.
IBS is a syndrome; it is defined by a group of symptoms, does not cause inflammation and rarely requires hospitalization or surgery. IBD, on the other hand, is an umbrella term used to describe disorders that cause chronic inflammation of your GI tract.
The disease is more common than you may realize; a study led by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation found nearly 1 in 100 people living in the U.S. have IBD. The two most common forms of IBD are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Understanding IBD Symptoms
Because it poses serious health risks and can cause permanent damage to your intestines, it’s important to be aware of what IBD is and recognize the symptoms. Your primary care doctor or gastroenterologist can help if you have concerns about these symptoms:
- Intense, crampy pain that doesn’t go away in a day or two or has been present on and off for weeks or longer
- A notable change in bowel movement frequency, whether more or less often
- Frequent diarrhea over several weeks, or loose stools multiple times a day
- Frequent constipation, or constipation alternating with diarrhea
- Urgency on a regular basis or inability to hold back the bowel movement before reaching the bathroom
- Blood with bowel movements
- Mucus in your stool regularly or paired with pain or other symptoms
- Always feeling as though you aren’t fully emptying your bowels
Other symptoms that may have a variety of causes but need extra attention especially if you notice them along with any of the symptoms above include pain outside of the gut, fatigue, loss of appetite and weight loss. In addition, children with IBD may have delays in growth and the onset of puberty.
Diagnosing IBD
No single test can confirm a Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis diagnosis. Your medical history and information obtained from diagnostic testing can exclude other potential causes of your symptoms, since gastrointestinal symptoms are common and can have a variety of causes.
Your first tests will likely include blood and stool laboratory tests. Further testing could include imaging studies of your gastrointestinal tract or a look inside your GI tract through an endoscope.
Identifying Treatment Options
Once an IBD diagnosis is confirmed, you can partner with your doctor to manage your disease. Treatment plans are highly personalized, as what works for one person may not for another. Medication and managing your diet and nutrition are two common treatment recommendations. In some cases, surgery can help improve your quality of life.
Clinical trials may also be an option for treating your IBD. Through clinical trials, researchers find new ways to improve treatments and quality of life. In fact, clinical trials represent the final stages of a long and careful research process to make new and improved treatment options for patients available.
However, an important part of clinical trials for IBD is patient participation. Without the enrollment of patients in clinical trials, new treatment options for IBD can be delayed or never become available.
Equally important to this process is having a diverse representation of patients that considers race, age or other categories. This helps researchers develop treatments that meet the needs of a vast IBD patient community.
If you’re interested in participating in a clinical trial, ask your doctor to help you find a trial that is right for you, and visit crohnscolitisfoundation.org to learn more about IBD and treatment options, including clinical trials.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/
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