Question: Why is it that older people often sound old? Do our voices change with age?
Answer: Yes, both female and male voices change over time.In women, hormonal changes associated with menopause cause lower voice pitch. On average, American women experience menopause at age 51. Menopause occurs when the function of the ovary declines, resulting in production of decreasing amounts of the female hormone estrogen.
The lower estrogen levels and the resulting proportionately higher levels of testosterone - the male hormone present in small amounts in women - cause the membranes covering the vocal cords to thicken. These hormonal changes may also cause the muscles of the larynx - the voice box - to shrink and the cartilage surrounding the larynx to calcify or become less flexible. "All these physical changes contribute to what we perceive as a continuing lowering of the pitch in a woman's voice with advanced age," says Nancy Sedat, a senior speech pathologist at UCLA.
Among men, voice pitch may rise slightly starting around age 70. The change in pitch, however, is less pronounced than in older women and may not always occur. When it does, the cause is usually a drop in the man's testosterone level.
Some people may purposely lower or raise their voices in an attempt to mask these age-related changes, a practice Sedat advises against because it may cause hoarseness or damage the vocal cords.
Older voices may also change in ways other than pitch. Speed of speech may slow with age, so that it takes longer to say a phrase. This change, says Sedat, is attributed to decreased lung capacity and can be corrected by taking more frequent breaths and using shorter sentences. Also, some older people may develop a crackly voice, attributed to a decreased tension of the vocal cords, which affects the ability to speak.
According to Sedat, the quality or clarity of one's voice may be improved at any age with the help of a speech pathologist.
Question: In my younger years, I used to jog, play tennis, swim, bike, you name it. Now, at age 75, I prefer to walk for exercise. What are the health benefits of walking?Answer: Research shows that people who walk for fitness can reduce their risk of premature death. A 15-year study by the Institute for Aerobics Research in Dallas, Texas, found that men and women who did the equivalent of 30 minutes of brisk walking every day significantly reduced their risk of premature death.
When done regularly, walking can improve your body's ability to use oxygen under exertion, reduce blood pressure, and increase the efficiency of your heart and lungs. Walking can make you feel better and sleep better, and it burns excess calories. A daily walk of two miles in 30 minutes - considered brisk walking - can burn enough calories so that you'll lose 6 pounds in a year.
Although walking has one of the lowest injury rates among popular forms of exercise, people who don't condition their bodies properly before setting out can wind up with ankle, knee and foot injuries. To reduce the risk of injury, the American Physical Therapy Association offers these suggestions:
- Before beginning a fitness walking program, consult your doctor.
- Buy walking shoes that provide cushioning, shock absorption and good arch and heel support.
- Start your exercise program gradually, walking every other day. Over several weeks, build up to a brisk walk four or five days a week covering two miles in 30 to 40 minutes.
- Start each session by warming up with a three- to five-minute slow-paced walk followed by stretching exercises. Then follow with a brisk walk for about one or two miles.
- When walking, keep your head erect, back straight and stomach flat. Inhale and exhale deeply counting one breath for every one or two steps.
- Reduce soreness and injury by pushing off with the ball of your foot and landing on your heel. Avoid walking flat-footed or only on the balls of your feet. To counterbalance forward motion and increase speed, swing the arm opposite the striding leg when walking.
- Cool down by walking slowly for about three to five minutes, and then stretch to increase flexibility and reduce the risk of injury.
- Stop exercising if you experience shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea or chest pains.
For a free copy of the American Physical Therapy Association's brochure "Fitness: A Way of Life," send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Fitness, APTA, P.O. Box 37257, Washington, DC 20013.
Send questions about growing older to On Aging, P.O. Box 84256, Los Angeles, CA 90073. Questions of general interest will be answered in the column; individual answers cannot be provided.