Assessment
How This 83-Year-Old Is Taking Charge of Her Brain Health
Mary Hammer is thriving with these healthy habits
Mary Hammer, 83, at her Maryland home among family photos, maintains habits to support her brain health, including yoga, weight training, healthy eating and social time with friends. “I want to keep sharp and able to be as involved as possible,” she says. “Without intention, it doesn’t happen.”
Carolyn Van Houten
Mary Hammer’s social calendar is packed. The 83-year-old is a firm believer in the importance of community and the value of social connection. She fills her days with lunches, study groups and theater outings with friends old and new. Her companions have seen her through life’s ups and downs, including the passing of her husband Arnie in 2023.
“I was the primary caregiver for my husband for the last five years of his life, and that really consumed and changed the way we were living,” she says. “Now that I am living alone, I’ve had to consciously create new patterns.”
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Motivated by a desire to keep her mind sharp, here’s how Mary is building a fulfilling life for herself. Her approach mirrors Staying Sharp’s six pillars of brain health.
Eating well and staying active
Hammer starts her day with a fruit smoothie and regularly lifts weights to support her muscles and bones.
Carolyn Van Houten (2)
Mary has always eaten a balanced diet, but lately she’s been trying to make sure she gets enough protein. She starts most mornings with a protein-rich smoothie with fruit and nuts, something her son Ben, a longtime AARP employee who also introduced her to Staying Sharp, taught her to do.
She’s been practicing yoga twice a week for about eight years and does exercises to challenge her balance, strength and coordination, like going from sitting to standing while holding ten-pound weights. “I also track my steps with an Apple Watch, and I try to keep moving,” she says.
Engaging her brain and spending time with others
Hammer walks to her car after an August lunch with her friends, from left, Jane Fidler, Dayle Ginsburg, and Donna Goldman. Time with friends is crucial for brain health.
Carolyn Van Houten
“I’m an extrovert,” Mary says. “I’m often the one to initiate and organize activities, and I find people are very happy to have [me] do it.” She lives in an apartment building in Chevy Chase, MD, with a large community of friendly seniors, including a woman she’s known for decades. “We grew up together, we raised our kids together,” Mary says. The two friends meet up several times a week. Mary also gathers twice a month with about a dozen women she’s met in her building, many of whom are widows.
“I’m having lunch tomorrow with one of the people in that group, and she invited me over for dinner to meet one of her close friends. It is an ever-expanding group.” Mary is also part of a potluck supper club that gets together to explore different types of cuisine, from French to Indian to Middle Eastern.
Having worked as a counselor and a management trainer, Mary puts her skills as a discussion leader to good use when it’s her turn to lead the Bible study group she’s been part of for more than 50 years. The people in this group first met as young married couples attending the same synagogue and have continued to get together about twice a month ever since.
Today, they’re like an extended family. When Mary was deep into her caregiving duties and needed a break from cooking, the group stepped up and coordinated to bring her meals.
“They are the core of my social group and the people who, if you need something and you call one of them, they’ll make sure it gets organized,” she says.
Part of what spurs Mary to action during her busy days is knowing that dementia runs in her family.
“On my mother’s side, it’s quite prevalent. On my father’s side, not at all. So I just decided I’ll take after my father," she jokes. She says she’s committed to “proactively and consciously” doing what research suggests may help lower dementia risk.
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