Healthy Aging & Independence


Healthy aging is about more than adding years; it is also about preserving the abilities and independence that matter in everyday life. These articles explore research and questions about strength, mobility, brain and heart aging, healthspan, and the factors that can shape how we function as we grow older.

Older woman in her late 60s lifts a light dumbbell during a seated strength exercise in a bright hom
By Marsha Sakamaki • October 11, 2026
Learn how creatine supports muscle energy, what research shows about strength in older adults, and what to know about dosing, weight changes, kidney tests, and more.
Diagram of a healthy brain (left) versus one with reduced gray matter (right), highlighted in yellow and blue.
By Marsha Sakamaki • October 2, 2026
Learn how blood pressure, abdominal fat and cardiovascular risks relate to brain aging, why effects may appear earlier in men, and what you can do.
Older woman in Hawaiʻi performing a controlled step-up exercise to build leg strength, balance, and
By Marsha Sakamaki • September 26, 2026
Exercise after 60 is about more than steps. Learn how strength, power, balance, and physical reserve help protect function, resilience, and independence as you age.
Showing how capability, adaptability, environment and support can help preserve independence.
By Marsha Sakamaki • September 25, 2026
Capability can change with age. Explore how adaptability, environment, technology, and planning may help preserve independence when life changes.
Two maps compare threats to lifespan with threats to independence, including disease, falls, mobilit
By Marsha Sakamaki • September 25, 2026
Healthspan may be about more than avoiding disease. Explore how mobility, hearing, vision, function and independence shape the years we live well.