When the elderly complain of feeling tired or experiencing a lack of energy, it shouldn't immediately be dismissed as simply being a sign of old age, says new research published in he Journal of Gerontology. That lack of energy -- known as anergia -- may be a sign of several health problems.

Researchers found that the 18 percent of study participants classified as anergic reported more arthritis, sleep disorders, cardiovascular symptoms and other health issues, according to an article that appears on MedicineNet.com. They also reported twice as many overnight hospitalizations, emergency department visits and home care services. In addition, anergia was associated with a 60 percent greater rate of death in the six years after participants were surveyed, the study said.

To read the full article, click here.

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When it comes to fitness opportunities China is doing something right. I recently read a blog post that discusses the public fitness centers that are available there and how many of the people that frequent the sites are older. In some cases -- like for one 82-year-old woman -- they spend hours each day taking advantage of the free community fitness equipment.

When I think of the public parks in my community, they're very kid-oriented. Which isn't a bad thing, of course, but what about the adults that live in this community? There are basketball hoops which are obviously appropriate for any age, and there is a sidewalk running around the perimeter of the park for running or walking. Other than that, the equipment is of the playground variety.

This makes me wonder, if fitness equipment geared toward adults was provided in local parks, would you take advantage of the opportunity? I know I would. When my son and I visit our favorite park in the area, I often circle around the park to try to squeeze in a little fitness while he's playing.

[via SmarterFitter]

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Forget the idea that training in the pool is a mamby-pamby workout. AquaLogix is throwing that idea out with the theory that one catches a cold from going out with wet hair! I've been testing out some amazing new fitness tools that can literally cater to both the elderly crowd in nursing homes and professional athletes. I'm on the uber-fit side, and these things kicked my ass! Excuse my language, but an hour in the pool using an advanced level set of Cardio Bells and Cardio Fins left my arms and legs trembling for an incredibly long time.

I'm sure many of you have used the traditional foam dumbbells in the water. They're awkward, right? I've been teaching fitness for 20 years, both in and out of the water, and I still look at the foam dumbbells with a question mark over my head! They drive me nuts, because they limit our mobility drastically. Up, down, up, down and that's it. Cardio Bells are the answer to that issue and many more. Their unique design allows the user to move in absolutely every direction, and the resistance they create is insane! I shared my new "cool tools" at the lap pool this week with dozens of fellow exercisers. Absolutely every last person from ages eight to 85 were both astonished at how much drag they created and how comfortable they are to use.

The other cool tools I received from AquaLogix were Cardio Fins. A brilliant innovation. Cardio Fins are soft Velcro bands that strap around the users wrists or ankles and create incredible drag. Using the advanced level Cardio Fins as I ran laps in the pool today made me feel as though I was climbing Mt. Everest. I love a challenge and the combination of the Cardio Fins and the Cardio Bells kept me struggling with gritted teeth.

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Just walking a few short blocks can make a big difference in heart health for the elderly. A recent study found that light exercise such as walking or dancing can prevent atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is a common heart condition where the upper chambers of the heart twitch instead of beating steadily. The condition is most common in people over age 65, though there is an elevated number of cases in younger people who exercise vigorously (e.g. marathon runners).

The researchers studied the lifestyle habits of more than 5,000 people (average age of 73) and found that those who were active had a reduced risk of the heart condition. In fact, those who walked five to 11 blocks a week had 22% less risk of developing the condition.

AOL Health has more information on healthy aging.

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Did you know that falls are the top cause of injury and death for the elderly in the United States? According to the American Geriatric Society, that is, in fact, the case. What might surprise you even more is that most of these falls occur in the home.

Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to protect yourself or a loved one from taking a dangerous spill. Because every home is different, it's a good idea to take a walk through the home in question with the specific purpose of checking for possible dangers.

Click through the gallery to see the seven tips given by the American Geriatric Society, and feel free to leave a comment if you have other suggestions!

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Fish really is brain food. A recent European study of elderly men and women found that those who regularly ate seafood did way better on cognitive tests than those who ate little or none. The more fish these old folks ate, the better they did on their tests. Effects were more pronounced for non-processed lean fish and fatty fish.

If you can't imagine eating a lot of fish, try to think outside the box. You don't have to consume only fillets and steaks. Try some smoked salmon with your eggs or dose a healthy salad with some canned tuna. Like anchovies? They count too.

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When I grow up, I want to be just like the adorable and inspiring 85 year old women I saw following along as best as they could in the back of a cardio kickboxing class today. I stood in awe watching them in their elastic waisted linen pants and button-down collared shirts jabbing and crossing with energy.

I thought about the things I do today to increase my health and preserve my athleticism. Will I be able to do the same things those amazing women were doing today while surrounded by others more than half their age? I bust my butt to ensure a long healthy life, but I when I watch things like that....it just seems like a bit of a miracle as well. That's what I'm working for. With all of my being, I want to be just like them.

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Get this: Even small improvements in bone density can have a major public health benefit, says one researcher involved in an ongoing Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study (Health ABC). One way to make such an improvement is to up your intake of magnesium. Magnesium helps the body use calcium, keeping bones strong. Are you getting enough? Probably not.

Through the Health ABC study -- 2.038 elderly men and women were studied -- it was determined that the more magnesium taken in, the more dense the bones are. Specifically, for every 100-milligram increase in magnesium, there appears to be a two percent increase in bone density. This finding does not hold true for African-Americans, perhaps due to a difference in hormones. Still, everyone can benefit from magnesium, says HEAL magazine.

Aim for three or four daily servings of low-fat dairy products if your body can tolerate them. Also, get plenty of magnesium-rich foods like dark, leafy green veggies, beans, avocados, and nuts. If that doesn't put you in a healthy range -- 420 mg per day for women and 320 mg for men -- then consider a supplement if your doctor gives you the OK. Just don't go overboard -- experts say 350 mg is a safe upper limit.

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Even though not everyone likes canine companionship, studies have shown that dogs and elderly do very well together. In the past when dogs have visited nursing homes, those elderly individuals have reported feeling less lonely because of it. However, a new study out of Saint Louis University shows that it may not be only the flesh and blood variety, but robotic mutts help as well!

These robot dogs provide the same level of companionship as the real deal according to the results. Of course, while there are things only real dogs can provide (like slobbery dog-kisses), the nursing home residents answered questions which revealed both groups feeling decreased loneliness.

In case you were wondering, the dogs which are made by Sony are called AIBO. If purchased off eBay, the price can run into the hundreds (between $200 and $800, maybe more). Even though the robo dogs may seem pricey, they feature artificial intelligence and don't come with the downers of a real pet (feeding, walking, etc.). They could be the perfect gift for grandparents or other elderly folks you may know!

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By now, it is no secret, no magical mystery that exercise and eating right is the best bet against early retirement from life. Research tells us that in order to live long, healthy lives, we should try to follow a diet low in bad fats and low in simple carbs, and exercise for at least a half an hour, two to five times per week. But even armed with this knowledge, some people are a bit reluctant to begin an exercise program and healthy diet -- particularly the former. This is especially true of people who have long since said goodbye to their twenties and even their thirties. The common misconception is that it's too late to start. Well, I'm here to tell you that it's never too late to start. And, I have the scientific proof to back me up.

In a German study of over 300 people, those who began exercising in their forties were half as likely to develop heart disease as people who never exercised. Interestingly enough, that risk reduction is nearly the same as that realized by people who have been sweating their butts off in the gym since they were in their teens and early twenties. So, you see, it is possible to play catch-up with your health.

For those of you who are completely new to exercise, I advise taking it slow at first. Don't tax your body to the point of absolute exhaustion, at least not for months after working out steadily. Try walking at a slow-to-moderate pace on a treadmill for a few weeks. Then, when that becomes too easy (which it will -- the human body is incredibly adaptive), try increasing the speed or the incline, or perhaps even hold some light dumbbells in your hands as you walk. The beauty of exercise is that there really isn't a set way of doing it. True, there are methods and routines to follow, but the number of options available are almost limitless. And, as the research shows, it's never too late to start.

Health care for the elderly takes a huge amount of money. In fact, taxpayers subsidize over $70 billion a year on nursing homes alone. That's the reasoning behind why the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have released a list of the worst nursing homes in our country.

Since there are 16,400 of these facilities in the nation, people have been wanting full disclosure of this information. Interested in hearing which locations were the worst offenders? Check out the list here. They don't enumerate the facilities in order, but they do label which ones were newly added, and which locations had improved. There are over 50 listed as high-risk facilities and did not show much improvement.

While it is up to the states to determine which nursing homes get qualified for this list, they follow a few guidelines to assess the quality. Those places labeled as needing improvement did things like used an unnecessary amount of medication. But this list alone is not a reason to go pull your grandmother out of her bed if you have someone in a nursing home. It might warrant a double-check, but providing health care is difficult and the CMS administrator says this is one step they are taking to stimulate improvement across the others.

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I've just about giving up on trying to figure out if caffeine is good for you or not. Back and forth, back and forth -- the evidence behind the benefit/detriment of caffeine keeps springing up on both sides, leaving at least this blogger unsure which study(ies) to believe. In a study I recently happened upon, it was discovered that drinking caffeinated beverages may provide significant protection against the development of heart disease in elderly people who have normal blood pressure levels.

It turns out that drinking a caffeinated beverage raise blood pressure to what researchers referred to as a "healthy level" after someone has consumed a meal. This rise can counteract the temporary drop in blood pressure that typically occurs after a meal. This drop is most commonly known to occur in the elderly.

The researchers point to their findings that people who consumed four or more servings of caffeinated beverages daily had a 53 percent lower risk of death from heart disease than did those individuals who consumed less than half a serving a day. And, with respect to the people who only drank two or three servings of caffeinated beverages a day, they had a 32 percent lower risk than those who drank less than half a serving a day.

The verdict is in. For now, anyway. I'm sure I'll come across some information stating just the opposite about caffeine, so I'm at a complete impasse as far as an opinion on this goes. What about you guys? What do you think? Is caffeine good for you or not?

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A team of researchers are showing off a crazy gadget which they claim may be the answer to curbing Alzheimer's disease. It's a hat, but looks more like a big black helmet. The contraption uses infrared light to allegedly stop and heal the mental decline.

If you think this sounds like some far-fetched invention of Doc Brown from Back to the Future, you aren't the only one. Experts say the chances of this actually benefiting anyone are pretty remote. But skeptics aren't getting these guys down. Human trials are set for the summer, so we're going to know sooner than later if it actually works.

The foundation for this technology actually helping Alzheimer's patients is a little shaky. It goes back to lab rats (no surprise there). Ten out of 30 rats were labeled as having a comparable mental decline not unlike our own elderly. After getting a dose of infrared radiation, they performed better at mazes. This seems like a loose connection, but we'll know soon whether they were on to something! Even though this is somewhat improbable, wouldn't it be nice for patients to simply don an Alzheimer's hat?

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Scientists are discovering that even though lead has been phased out of our environment, those elderly who were exposed decades ago are still feeling the effects. Apparently lead exposure back then has a strong link to their mental decline now.

This flies in the face of what many considered to be a "natural aging" of the brain's decline. However, researchers are quick to note that this is not the sole cause of mental decline as the years wear on. What they are saying is that this exposure has accumulated in their bodies, and still affects their health decades later by causing the brain to work like it's five years older. We live in a time where almost everything we touch is treated with a chemical. But the problem back then was that they didn't realize the full effects of lead.

Thankfully environmental levels dropped dramatically starting in the mid-70's so that by 1990 the amount of lead in the average American had dropped by 80 percent. However, lead in the bone which was contracted in the past can still be measured today (everyone has some level of it in their bodies). More research is needed to figure out the mechanism by which lead stays in the system and how it influences brain aging. Hopefully they can pin it down and cut lead out of our every day interactions even more.

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Do you remember the "I've fallen and I can't get up" commercials? In these ads, an elderly woman is seen lying on the ground after an apparent fall, unable to make her way to the telephone due to her injuries. Because of the over-the-top performance given by the woman and the low production value of the commercial itself, this ad, and its attendant catch phrase, quickly became somewhat of a joke. The unfortunate side of this, however, is that it made light of a very real problem.

A reported one-third of people over the age of 65 fall each year, many times injuring themselves quite severely. But, what causes these falls? In some cases, the cause is something that is supposed to help the elderly: Medication.

Some medications' known side-effects are dizziness or lightheadedness, causing a disturbance to balance and coordination. Other meds may affect reflexes and attention, or cause sleepiness or confusion.

If you are an elderly person taking medication, be sure to talk to your doctor if you feel any of these symptoms. As any elderly person who has experienced a situation of this kind can tell you, "I've fallen and I can't get up" really isn't that funny.