Can Lifting Weights Improve Your Attention and Thinking?

Summary:  Lifting weights as little as once per week may improve your attention and thinking.

     Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Ph.D., PT

Several studies have shown that exercise might reduce your risk of memory loss, or even improve your memory and thinking.  Most of these studies have focused on aerobic exercise such as walking or aerobics classes.  

What about lifting weights?  Research by Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia, and her colleagues suggests lifting weights once or twice per week can improve attention and thinking in older women.   

Lifting weights might not have an immediate effect.  In this clinical trial, the women who lifted weights were split into two groups:  those who trained once per week and those who trained twice per week.  Both groups were compared to a group of women participating in a twice weekly balance and toning program.  At the six month point, Dr. Liu-Ambrose and her colleagues found no significant differences between those lifting weights and those in the balance and toning program.  At the one year point, however, the once per week group had improved performance by 12.6% and the twice per week group by 10.9%.  The performance of the balance and toning group worsened slightly.

In a follow-up study one year after the formal training sessions ended, the once per week group still showed a 15% improvement on tests of attention and thinking over the balance and toning group.

There’s still a lot researchers don’t know about lifting weights and cognition.  First, while the once per week group maintained improvement on test scores a year after the formal training sessions ended, the twice per week group did not.  “This is likely due to the fact the once per week resistance training group maintained a higher level of physical activity after the formal cessation of the study,” says Dr. Liu-Ambrose.  More research is needed to understand the factors behind these differences.

Second, MRI brain scans showed the brains of the women in the weight-lifting groups shrank a bit, while the brains of those in the balance and toning group did not.  Brain shrinkage is normally associated with a decline in memory and thinking.  Similar shrinkage has been reported in groups receiving active treatments in some clinical trials, but scientists are unsure of what it means.

Third, women ages 65 to 75 were enrolled in this study, and it’s not clear that lifting weights would have the same effect for men or for women of other ages.  Other studies have shown that exercise may affect men and women differently.  “From my clinical perspective, compliance may be a key reason why women cognitively benefit more from exercise, says Dr. Liu-Ambrose, who is a registered physical therapist.   “Also , we know from animal studies that socialization is beneficial for both cognitive and brain function. So it could be that the social aspect of group-based exercise classes has a more beneficial effect for women versus men.   There is also evidence that estrogen may be a key factor.”

Finally, the women in the study did not have significant problems with memory and thinking.  It’s not clear whether lifting weights would improve the attention and thinking of people who have more serious problems.  Dr. Liu-Ambrose and her colleagues plan to study the effects of exercise on people with more progressive cognitive impairment or dementia.

How to Slow the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease

5 things that can help someone with dementia maintain independence longer

By Paula Spencer, Caring.com senior editor

Quick summary

The memory loss and other cognitive changes characteristic of Alzheimer's disease and most other forms of dementia can't be reversed. But there are some proven ways to delay further decline, at least over the short term.

Mental Activity

A growing body of research indicates that stimulating the brain has the power to slow the progress of Alzheimer's, particularly in the early stages. Healthy elderly adults who are mentally active were 2.6 times less likely to develop dementia, according to the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal study involving more than 1,200 older people.

What you can do:

Encourage the person in your care to participate in activities she finds pleasurable, especially those that engage the mind: reading, writing, playing the piano, working crosswords or puzzle books, playing games such as chess, or even learning a language. Present her with fresh materials or plenty of opportunities.

Local senior centers and adult daycare programs are more than just a way to "pass the time." They excel at providing stimulating activities, including group storytelling, music, art, and games.

Some research suggests that activities are especially protective when they involve interacting with others. Healthy people who are socially active tend to have fewer memory problems than those who are more reclusive.

Arrange for help around the home, if possible, but avoid relieving her of all her customary responsibilities. Participating in daily chores can be a form of mental workout, too.

The catch with mental stimulation:

It's important that someone with dementia find the activity pleasurable. If she finds studying Spanish or learning to use a computer frustrating because of existing cognitive declines, don't push it.

Also avoid formal mental "exercises" or memory drills. They may stress her, causing symptoms to worsen.

Too much social activity can also be stressful. Outings are best when low-key (small dinners as opposed to, say, big parties) and when they last under

 

Daily Life Modifications

Page 2 of How to Slow the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease

 Simplifying the living environment and providing the tools to assist her existing memory can help her maintain independence longer. This has the benefit of reducing stress and slowing further decline.

What you can do:

Find ways to minimize any tasks she may worry about. For example, you could arrange electronic bill paying, hire a lawn service, enlist a young neighbor to handle her laundry, or cancel subscriptions to magazines she never reads. Help her keep her home free of piled-up newspapers, old mail, and other clutter. Look into electronic reminder systems, note-keeping systems, or commercially available tools that can help to prop up a faulty memory.

The catch with daily life modifications:

Be sure to make changes gradually. Too many abrupt changes -- removing all the clutter from a messy home in one sweep, for example -- can be disorienting and stressful to someone with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia and hasten her decline rather than slowing it.

Routine and Familiarity

Page 3 of How to Slow the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease

The stimulation of fresh ideas can have positive effects, but too much change in her life can be confusing and disorienting. Familiarity is very important to someone with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. The stress of having to cope with sudden or significant change can make symptoms worse. (Note: Stress doesn't cause Alzheimer's, but it has been shown to worsen symptoms in those already affected.)

What you can do:

Try to give her day a regular rhythm, with meals, sleep, outings, and bathing happening at about the same times each day. Schedule all doctors' appointments at roughly the same time if you can, such as first thing in the morning or right after lunch. It's not unlike the way a new parent organizes the day around a baby's sleep-wake cycle.

The catch with routines:

A good routine is one that's healthy to begin with. Examples of negative routines worth trying to change: If she's staying awake later and later and rising later, or if she's dropped all former social connections and rarely sees anyone.

Vitamins and Herbs

Page 4 of How to Slow the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease

Scientists are investigating several different dietary additions for people with dementia. Two of the most promising areas:

·                                 Antioxidants A clinical trial showed that vitamin E helps slow down mental impairment in people with Alzheimer's. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which helps protect cells against damage. It's now being researched in conjunction with B vitamins.

A large 2005 study found that healthy people who consumed more than 400 micrograms (the recommended daily amount for adults) of folate, a B vitamin that occurs naturally in many foods, cut their risk of developing Alzheimer's in half. This slowing of cognitive decline is being looked at to see if it's also true once decline has started.

·                                 Ginkgo biloba

This herb, traditionally used in Chinese medicine, comes from the dried leaves of the gingko (maidenhair) tree. It's sometimes called the "memory herb," after findings that it appears to help slow down cognitive decline for some people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. To date, research studies making this claim have been criticized, however, and a randomized clinical trial sponsored in part by the National Institute on Aging and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is underway, to be completed in late 2009.

What you can do:

Encourage the person in your care to inform her primary-care doctor about any supplements and herbs she's been taking, and their dosages, and do so yourself if she doesn't. Bring the bottle, so the doctor can see exactly what's being taken. Too much vitamin E, for example, can cause gastrointestinal problems and other side effects, and can be fatal to people with heart disease.

In general, the best way to get important vitamins and minerals is to consume them from their natural food sources. A recent study found that Alzheimer's patients who most closely followed a Mediterranean-style diet (high in vegetables, legumes, cereals, fruit, fish, poultry, dairy, and monounstaturated fats -- and low in saturated fats) lived an average of 1.3 years longer than those who consumed a Western diet (higher in saturated fats and meats, lower in vegetables).

Try to make sure that she's eating a diet low in saturated fats and rich in vitamins E, C, and B. Older people's diets often lack fresh fruits and vegetables (such as citrus, berries, and leafy green vegetables), legumes (beans), whole-wheat or fortified bread, and nuts and seeds.

Take a close look at her eating habits. People with memory problems often slack off on cooking because even the familiar steps, as well as managing cutlery, become too challenging.

The catch with vitamins and herbs:_ _

The one thing scientists agree on concerning memory loss and supplements is that more research is needed. No single "magic bullet" has been found to stop memory decline in its tracks, and no supplements should be taken by people with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia without medical supervision.

Medications

Page 5 of How to Slow the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease

Five FDA-approved drugs are used to delay the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease or prevent them from becoming worse for a limited time.

What you can do:

Talk to your loved one's doctor about which drugs might be appropriate. For mild to moderate

Alzheimer's, cholinesterase inhibitors -- such as Aricept (donepezil), Exelon (rivastigmine), and Razadyne (galantamine), formerly called Reminyl -- may be prescribed. These medications help keep the enzyme acetylcholinesterase from reducing acetylcholine, which affects mental capabilities and muscle control. The drug Cognex (tacrine hydrochloride) was prescribed in the past, but is no longer recommended.

For moderate to severe stages, the drug Namenda (memantine) is also used. This drug is an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, which regulates glutamate (a chemical messenger in the brain that's associated with learning and memory).

The catch with medications:

Not every drug works for all patients. And each involves possible side effects and interactions with other drugs the person in your care may be taking. Talk to her doctor about whether any of these medications is a good fit.

Caring For Our Brains

 Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia

Also Included In: Seniors / Aging;  Hypertension;  Diabetes
 
As the average life span becomes longer, dementiabecomes more common. Swedish scientist Laura Fratiglioni has shown that everyone can minimize his or her risk of being affected. Factors from blood pressure and weight to the degree of physical and mental activity can influence cognitive functioning as one gets older. 

The lengthening of the average life span in the population has caused an increase in the prevalence of aging related disorders, one of which is cognitive impairment and dementia. An expert panel estimates that worldwide more than 24 million people are affected by dementia, most suffering from Alzheimer's disease. In the more developed countries, 70 percent of the persons with dementia are 75 years or older. Age is the greatest risk factor for developing dementia. But there is growing evidence that the strong association with increasing age can be, at least partially, explained by a life course cumulative exposure to different risk factors. 

Laura Fratiglioni's research group at Karolinska Institutet is a leader in identifying the risk factors that lie behind developing dementia and using this knowledge to develop possible preventative strategies. The group's research has shown that the risk is partly determined by an individual genetic susceptibility, and that active involvement in mental, physical and social activities can delay the onset of dementia by preserving cognitive functions. Further education early in life has a protective effect, and the group's research has shown that it is never too late to get started. 

"The brain, just as other parts of the body, requires stimulation and exercise in order to continue to function. Elderly people with an active life - mentally, physically and socially - run a lower risk of developing dementia, and it doesn't matter what the particular activities are", says Professor Laura Fratiglioni. 

Laura Fratiglioni's research has shown that physical factors are also significant. Not only high and low blood pressure, but also diabetes and obesity when middle-aged increase the risk of developing dementia after the age of 70. "What is good for the heart is good for the brain", she says. 

Knowledge about risk factors and how to protect the brain from dementia is based on observational studies in which scientists have discovered statistical correlations in the population. Scientists in other current studies that are carried out in Europe are investigating what happens when a large number of study participants are given special help to better control vascular risk factors and to stimulate social, physical and mental activities. which should, at least, lead to a delay of dementia onset. 

"You could say that we are progressing from observation to experiment. This means that in a few years we will know more about which strategies are most effective in preventing neurodegenerative disorders", says Laura Fratiglioni. 

Source: 
Sabina Bossi 
Karolinska Institutet 

Aerobic Exercise May Improve Memory In Seniors

by MICHELLE TRUDEAU

February 21, 2011

There's a very small structure deep in the center of our brains called the hippocampus. It's smaller than your pinkie, but it plays an absolutely essential role in learning and memory. The hippocampus encodes new information so that we can recall it later. Without a hippocampus, we would be unable to form new memories; we'd only be able to remember the old ones.

As part of normal aging, the hippocampus shrinks. And this shrinkage speeds up as we grow older, foreshadowing memory problems and dementias like Alzheimer's disease.

But there's been some good news in the past decade: Scientists have discovered that in certain areas of the aging brain, new cells are born and grow throughout through life. Neuroscientist Peter Snyder, a researcher at Brown University's Alpert Medical School and Rhode Island Hospital, says the hippocampus is one of those brain areas that continue to form new cells and make new connections between cells.

"What we're finding is that of all of these noninvasive ways of intervening, it is exercise that seems to have the most efficacy at this point — more so than nutritional supplements, vitamins and cognitive interventions," says Snyder, who studies what we can do to maintain memory as our brains age.

Power Of Exercise

Snyder says several studies have been published recently on the power of exercise on the aging brain.

"The literature on exercise is just tremendous," he says. "What we find is that with exercise — with aerobic exercise, a moderate amount on a regular basis — there are chemical changes that occur in the brain that promote the growth of new neurons in [the hippocampus]."

The major chemical change in the hippocampus during aerobic exercise is an increase in a brain protein called BDNF, which acts like a fertilizer during the birth of new brain cells by nourishing new connections between neurons.

Some of the most provocative evidence on the power of exercise on the brain comes from a study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by neuroscientist Art Kramer at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Kramer and his colleagues have documented the impact of exercise on the growth of the hippocampus in a small group of elderly people over the course of one year.

"The participants in our study were 120 very sedentary people," Kramer says.

He adds none had dementia or memory problems when they entered the study. "They were relatively healthy, but certainly 'couch potatoes' would fit as a label."

Getting Couch Potatoes Moving

One of those "couch potatoes" who volunteered for the study was Gregory Stanton, a 66-year-old semi-retired college professor. He admits to not exercising regularly but counters that he was physically quite active remodeling his home. So he refers to himself as "a semi-couch potato."

Stanton and the other 120 men and women in the study ranged from 60 to 80 years old. When they entered the study, they were randomly divided into two groups.

"One was the aerobic exercise group," Kramer says. "Those were people who walked further and faster as time went on. And the others in our control group were in a toning, stretching and light-strengthening group."

Stanton was randomly assigned to the aerobic exercise group.

"Basically, it's walking a track in one of the gym facilities," Stanton says. He and the others in the aerobic group walked the track for about 40 minutes three times a week for a year. Stanton says he averaged about 3 miles each session. After each session, he was breathing hard and had worked up a sweat, he says.

The idea was for each participant to walk fast enough to reach aerobic exercise level, Kramer explains, which is generally considered to be 70 percent of one's maximum heart rate.

Walkers Fared Better

All the participants in the study had MRI brain scans done before the study began and again a year later when the study ended. Then the researchers analyzed the MRI data.

"What we found," Kramer says, "is that individuals in the aerobic group showed increases in the volume of their hippocampus."

The increase in volume — again for the aerobic but not for the non-aerobic group — was about 2 percent.

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How Exercise Might Help Keep Alzheimer's At Bay

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"The 2 percent increase we can think of as turning back the clock about two years," Kramer says.

The increased volume was found in the anterior, or front part, of the hippocampus. That's the area of the hippocampus that has been shown to grow as a function of exercise in several animal studies.

By comparison, "the individuals in the control group — in the toning and stretching group — lost about 1.5 percent [of their hippocampal volume]," Kramer says. "So we can think of it as about a 3.5 percent difference compared to those individuals who didn't benefit aerobically."

The results are small but suggestive. This finding shows that not only did the aerobic exercise protect against normal shrinkage, but also that new cells were added to the hippocampus. The researchers also saw a significant increase in that important brain-fertilizing chemical BDNF in the plasma of those in the aerobic exercise group — but not in the control group.

Impact On Memory

But did the growth in the hippocampus translate into improvements in memory? Both groups were given memory tests before and after the yearlong exercise program. Kramer says these tests looked specifically at a type of memory called "spatial memory," which records information about our environment, like the layout of the neighborhood or the interior of the grocery store.

At the start of the study, both the aerobic and the non-aerobic group scored similarly on the spatial memory test. But after the yearlong program, the group that did aerobic exercises had improved significantly on its spatial memory tests, bettering its own scores from a year earlier. The non-aerobic group had not improved in memory after a year of stretching, toning and lightweight lifting.

As for "semi-couch potato" Stanton, who'd been in the aerobic group, he says he didn't notice any improvement in his memory. He still has problems remembering people's names. But he did notice he had more physical stamina after the yearlong aerobic walking program.

In spite of this, Stanton says he still doesn't maintain a regular exercise regimen. He says while he knows it's good for him, he, like many of us, can't find the time. He's just too busy.

Endurance Exercise Prevents Premature Aging

Released: 2/18/2011 4:00 PM EST 
Embargo expired: 2/21/2011 3:00 PM EST
Source: McMaster University

Newswise — Hamilton, ON (Feb. 21, 2011) — Endurance exercise may stop you looking and feeling old, it may even help you live longer, a study by McMaster University researchers has found.

“Many people falsely believe that the benefits of exercise will be found in a pill,” said Mark Tarnopolsky, principal investigator of the study and a professor of pediatrics and medicine of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine. “We have clearly shown that there is no substitute for the “real thing” of exercise when it comes to protection from aging.”

The study, published today in the prestigious science journalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), found that premature aging in nearly every organ in the body was completely prevented in mice that ran on a treadmill three times a week for five months.

These mice were genetically engineered to age faster due to a defect in a gene for polymerase gamma (POLG1) that alters the repair system of their mitochondria – the cellular powerhouses responsible for generating energy for nearly every cell in the body.

Mitochondria are unique in that they have their own DNA. It has been thought that lifelong accumulation of mitochondrial DNA mutations lead to energy crisis that result in a progressive decline in tissue and organ function, ultimately resulting in aging. But the study on genetically-disadvantaged mice found those who had endurance exercise training three times a week looked as young as healthy mice while their sedentary siblings were balding, graying, physically inactive, socially isolated and less fertile.

“Others have tried to treat these animals with “exercise pill” drugs and have even tried to reduce their caloric intake, a strategy felt to be the most effective for slowing aging, and these were met with limited success,” said Tarnopolsky.

Adeel Safdar, lead author and a senior PhD student working with Tarnopolsky said: “I believe that we have very compelling evidence that clearly show that endurance exercise is a lifestyle approach that improves whole body mitochondrial function which is critical for reducing morbidity and mortality. Exercise truly is the fountain of youth.”

Co-author Jacqueline Bourgeois said: “The recipe for healthy aging is very simple, and that’s exercise. The problem is that it is most people find it a difficult recipe to follow.” She is an associate professor of pathology and molecular medicine at McMaster.

Tarnopolsky said he hopes that this research will motive children and adults to adopt a healthier lifestyle and for government agencies to promote health and sport.

Funders of the study included the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). As well, Adeel Safdar holds a CIHR – Institute of Aging doctoral research scholarship.

McMaster University, one of four Canadian universities listed among the Top 100 universities in the world, is renowned for its innovation in both learning and discovery. It has a student population of 23,000, and more than 140,000 alumni in 128 countries.

Note to editors: Videos and photos are available athttp://fhs.mcmaster.ca/media/tarnopolsky/media_20110218.html

Higher Levels of Social Activity Decrease the Risk of Developing Disability in Old Age

Afraid of becoming disabled in old age, not being able to dress yourself or walk up and down the stairs?  Staying physically active before symptoms set in could help.  But so could going out to eat, playing bingo and taking overnight trips.

According to research conducted at Rush University Medical Center, higher levels of social activity are associated with a decreased risk of becoming disabled.  The study has just been posted online and will be published in the April issue of the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences.

“Social activity has long been recognized as an essential component of healthy aging, but now we have strong evidence that it is also related to better everyday functioning and less disability in old age,” said lead researcher Bryan James, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the epidemiology of aging and dementia in the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center.  “The findings are exciting because social activity is potentially a risk factor that can be modified to help older adults avoid the burdens of disability.”

The study included 954 older adults with a mean age of 82 who are participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing longitudinal study of common chronic conditions of aging.  At the start of the investigation, none of the participants had any form of disability.  They each underwent yearly evaluations that included a medical history and neurological and neuropsychological tests.

Social activity was measured based on a questionnaire that assessed whether, and how often, participants went to restaurants, sporting events or the teletract (off-track betting) or played bingo; went on day trips or overnight trips; did volunteer work; visited relatives or friends; participated in groups such as the Knights of Columbus; or attended religious services.

To assess disability, participants were asked whether they could perform six activities of daily living without help:  feeding, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring and walking across a small room.  They were also asked whether they could perform three tasks that require mobility and strength:  walking up and down a flight of stairs, walking a half mile and doing heavy housework.   Finally, they were asked about their ability to perform what are referred to as “instrumental” activities of daily living, such as using the telephone, preparing meals and managing medications.  Difficulties with household management and mobility are more common and represent less severe disability than difficulty with self-care tasks, so the measures represented a range of disability.

Results showed that a person who reported a high level of social activity was about twice as likely to remain free of a disability involving activities of daily living than a person with a low level of social activity, and about 1.5 times as likely to remain free of disability involving instrumental activities of daily living or mobility.

Why social activity plays a role in the development of disability is not clear, James said.  Possibly, social activity may reinforce the neural networks and musculoskeletal function required to maintain functional independence.

Future research is needed to determine whether interventions aimed at increasing late-life social activity can play a part in delaying or preventing disability, James said. � Y i s h� ��� living than a person with a low level of social activity, and about 1.5 times as likely to remain free of disability involving instrumental activities of daily living or mobility.

Why social activity plays a role in the development of disability is not clear, James said.  Possibly, social activity may reinforce the neural networks and musculoskeletal function required to maintain functional independence.

Future research is needed to determine whether interventions aimed at increasing late-life social activity can play a part in delaying or preventing disability, James said.

Other researchers at Rush involved in the study were Patricia Boyle, PhD, Dr. Aron Buchman and Dr. David Bennett.

New Ideas in Dementia Care

The Tangled Neuron

2-20-11

In a previous post, I wrote about the alphabet soup of organizations working to find new treatments for Alzheimer’s. Much less well-funded and well-publicized are the organizations and people working to find new ways to care for people with dementia.

Earlier this month, several people at the cutting edge of this work came together in snowy Rochester, New York to share ideas and to make a video.   A big thank you to Richard Taylor for inviting me to take part, and to Al Power and St. John’s Home for hosting all of us so graciously.

The video is Richard’s brainchild, and will address common questions on dementia and care from his perspective, and from the (sometimes varying) perspectives of the rest of us:  Al, Judy Berry (founder of Lakeview Ranch homes), Sarah Rowan (Eden Alternative board member and speaker) and me.  Anne Bastingand Bill Thomas couldn’t be in Rochester but will contribute their thoughts separately.  Richard’s idea is to highlight the variety of our experiences to encourage people with dementia and their care partners to form their own opinions on how to live with dementia. 

Judy’s husband Julius Keya is the videographer for this project.  Originally from Kenya, he is a talented videographer who has traveled the world working on human rights documentaries.   Julius also filmed and edited a video of Richard and Al speaking at St. Cloud University – you can email him at info@brilliantimageproductions.com to purchase it.

If I had to pick one theme for our discussions in Rochester, it would be how to design care around the needs of each person with dementia, instead of around the needs of an institution or the prescriptions of “experts.”  Underpinning that theme was the incredible level of personal caring I saw in Richard, Al, Sarah, Judy and Julius, the people at St. John’s and in the Rochester community.  

I’ll write more about some of their individual efforts in future posts.

RETIREMENT PLANNING

FEBRUARY 19, 2011

Retiring Boomers Find 401(k) Plans Fall Short

By E.S. BROWNING

Patti and Bob Webster had planned to retire in North Carolina but say they need to keep working.

The 401(k) generation is beginning to retire, and it isn't a pretty sight.

The retirement savings plans that many baby boomers thought would see them through old age are falling short in many cases.

The median household headed by a person aged 60 to 62 with a 401(k) account has less than one-quarter of what is needed in that account to maintain its standard of living in retirement, according to data compiled by the Federal Reserve and analyzed by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College for The Wall Street Journal. Even counting Social Security and any pensions or other savings, most 401(k) participants appear to have insufficient savings. Data from other sources also show big gaps between savings and what people need, and the financial crisis has made things worse.

This analysis uses estimates of 401(k) balances from the end of 2010 and of salaries from 2009. It assumes people need 85% of their working income after they retire in order to maintain their standard of living, a common yardstick.

Facing shortfalls, many people are postponing retirement, moving to cheaper housing, buying less-expensive food, cutting back on travel, taking bigger risks with their investments and making other sacrifices they never imagined.

"Inevitably, we find that, for the average person, there is not enough there," says financial adviser Paul Merritt of NTrust Wealth Management in Virginia Beach, Va., who has found himself advising many retirement-age people with too little savings. "The discussion turns out to be: What kind of part-time work do you want to do after you retire?"

He has clients contemplating part-time work into their 70s, he says.

Tax-deferred 401(k) retirement accounts came into wide use in the 1980s, making baby boomers trying to retire now among the first to rely heavily on them.

The problems are widespread, especially among middle-income earners. About 60% of households nearing retirement age have 401(k)-type accounts, according to government data, and those represent the majority of most people's savings. The situation is less dire for those in a higher income bracket, who tend to save more outside their 401(k) accounts and who have more margin for error if their retirement returns fall below the recommended 85% figure.

Steven Rutschmann says his six-figure 401 (k) balance was damaged by the financial crisis.

Steven Rutschmann, 60 years old, manages the buildings and grounds at a Midwest research facility. His employer recently offered him a bonus if he retired early.

Mr. Rutschmann's 401(k) is well into six figures. His wife has a 401(k) and expects a small pension from her nursing job. An outdoorsman, he dreams of spending time hunting, fishing and hiking.

So he consulted a financial planner at Ernst & Young and learned that even with the bonus, his savings could run out before he turns 85. Now he expects to work for several more years.

"I was disappointed," says Mr. Rutschmann, whose 401(k) balance was damaged by the financial crisis and who still has a large mortgage.

In general, people facing problems today got too little advice, or bad advice. They didn't realize that a 6% annual contribution, with a 3% company match, might not be enough.

Some started saving too late or suspended contributions when they or their spouses lost jobs. Others borrowed against 401(k) accounts for medical emergencies or ran up debts too close to their planned retirement dates.

In the stock-market collapses of 2000-2002 and 2007-2009, many people were over-invested in stocks. Some bailed out after the market collapse, suffering on the way down and then missing the rebound.

Initially envisioned as a way for management-level people to put aside extra retirement money, the 401(k) was embraced by big companies in the 1980s as a replacement for costly pension funds. Suddenly, they were able to transfer the burden of funding employees' retirement to the employees themselves. Employees had control over their savings, and were able carry them to new jobs.

They were a gold mine for money-management firms. In 30 years, the 401(k) went from a small program to a multi-trillion-dollar industry supporting thousands of financial planners and money managers.

But a 401(k) also requires steady, significant savings. And unlike corporate pension plans, which are guaranteed by the U.S. government, 401(k) plans have no such backstop.

The government and employers aren't going to pay more for people's retirements. Unless people begin saving earlier and contributing more to their 401(k) plans, advisers say, they are destined to hit retirement age with too little money.

Vanguard Group, one of the biggest providers of 401 (k) plans, has changed its advice on how much people should save. Vanguard long advised people to put 9% to 12% of their salaries—including the employer contribution—in their 401(k) plans. The current median amount that people contribute is 9%, counting the employer contribution, Vanguard says.

Recently, Vanguard has begun urging people to contribute 12% to 15%, including the employer contribution, because of the stock market's weak returns and uncertainty about the future of Social Security and Medicare.

Plans of younger people have been affected too. Of those 45 to 59 who had substantial retirement assets prior to the downturn, 40% planned to work longer, according to a study by the Center for Retirement Research.

Gloria Moss has been contributing to a 401(k) since 1985, when she went back to work after having children. Especially after divorcing, she wasn't able to contribute as much as she wished and when her children finished college, she focused on repaying college loans. She says she lost more than half her savings in the recent financial crisis, then shifted heavily to bonds and missed the stock rebound.

"I thought I was doing the right thing, and found out otherwise," she says. When she consulted a financial adviser, "I got a report that said, 'You have a 5% chance of reaching your retirement goal'."

In her early 60s, she is ready to retire, but if she does that now, "I will have $25,000 to $30,000 a year less than I anticipated having," she says.

To retire at her current standard of living, she figures, she needs nearly twice the savings she has now.

Dr. Moss, who has a Ph.D. in education, also made good decisions along the way. She saw trouble coming at the educational software company where she worked and found a new job a week after losing hers.

Now she has sold the condominium she loved, near the Atlantic Ocean, and moved to a cheaper house. She cut back on vacations and meals out. She adores the theater but hasn't been to a play in at least a year.

She works extra hours each week and contributes to her employer's version of a 401(k), but doesn't feel financially able to contribute the maximum amount.

"I am going to probably have to work considerably longer than I anticipated," she says. "It is a nice job but I had not planned to be working well into my sixties," she says. "A lot of people are doing that. They need the money."

It isn't possible to calculate precisely how many people are able to cover the recommended 85% of their pre-retirement income, but Federal Reserve data suggest that many people can't.

Consider households headed by people aged 60 to 62, nearing retirement, with a 401(k)-type account at their jobs.

Such households had a median income of $87,700 in 2009, according to data from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, which derived this and other numbers by updating Fed survey data, at The Journal's request. The 85% needed for retirement would be $74,545 a year.

Experts estimate Social Security will provide as much as 40% of pre-retirement income, or $35,080 a year for that median family. That leaves $39,465 needed from other sources. Most 401(k) accounts don't come close to making up that gap.

The median 401(k) plan held $149,400, including plans from previous jobs, according to the Center for Retirement Research. To figure the annual income from that, analysts typically look at what the family would get from a fixed annuity.

That $149,400 would generate just $9,073 a year for a couple, according to New York Life Insurance Co., the leading provider of such annuities— less than one-quarter of the $39,465 needed.

Just 8% of households approaching retirement have the $636,673 or more in their 401(k)s that would be needed to generate $39,465 a year.

Some families do have other income. Just under half expect pension income of a median $26,500 a year. Added to the $9,073 in 401(k) income, that still falls short. Some families have other savings, but Federal Reserve and other data suggest that those don't fill the gap for most people.

These data don't even include people who are in the direst situations: Those who have lost their jobs, stopped contributing to 401(k) plans or shifted to jobs without 401(k) plans. The numbers also don't account for inflation, which would further eat into income from a 401(k).

Some researchers question the Fed numbers because they are based on surveys rather than on records of actual contributions.

Jack VanDerhei, head of research at the Employee Benefit Research Institute, a group supported by 401(k) providers, estimates the median person actually has about $158,754, based on data from 401(k) providers. That is based on individuals in their 60s who have been at the same company for more than 30 years, a somewhat different group than that measured by the Fed data.

Even that amount of 401(k) savings generates much less than what is needed.

The difficulties have been worsened by the 2007-2009 financial crisis. Since the housing and financial markets began to collapse, about 39% of all Americans have been foreclosed upon, unemployed, underwater on a mortgage or behind more than two months on a mortgage, says Michael Hurd, director of the Rand Corporation's Center for the Study of Aging.

In 2008, when he was 59, John Mastej figured he was on track to retire in his early 60s. He and his wife both were working, with 401(k) plans. Counting all their savings, they had close to $200,000. Mr. Mastej was putting 20% of his salary into his 401(k).

The financial collapse cut their savings in half and left Mr. Mastej out of work for two years, with no 401(k) contributions. He had to dip into other savings and use up an inheritance to pay the mortgage. He found a new job in a specialty food store, but it paid much less than his old one in a plastics factory.

Today, Mr. Mastej figures he has about $90,000 in savings left, including about $50,000 from the two 401(k)s, now mostly in a fixed annuity that isn't affected by the stock market. He and his wife have canceled their satellite television and drive 11-year-old cars to work.

They buy some food at discounted prices through their church, but are proud they have remained current on their mortgage, home-equity loan, insurance and property taxes.

"We don't go out to dinner. We don't do much entertaining," Mr. Mastej says. "I will probably end up having to work for another 10 years."

Carol Dailey is continuing to work at age 71. Ms. Dailey spent 10 years as an executive assistant at America Online and had stock options she figures were once worth $1.7 million. The options' value collapsed with the company's stock.

Now she relies on her 401(k), which took a hit in the 2008 market plunge. She has cut back spending for entertainment and organic food, and continues to work three days a week as an office manager for an Internet security company.

"At AOL, we were buying $60 bottles of wine and not blinking. Now I drink box wine," she says.

Eventually, she wants to retire completely. Then, to make ends meet, she plans to take bigger investment risks. Her financial adviser then will shift some of her savings out of an annuity and into high-yielding bonds and real-estate investment trusts, aiming to double the return on that money to 10% a year.

Some people were done in by the twin collapses of the housing and stock markets.

Patti and Bob Webster had accumulated a six-figure balance in their 401(k) accounts and were building a dream house in North Carolina in 2007. They planned to retire there in about a year. Then their builder went out of business and the stock collapse knocked 40% off their savings. They temporarily suspended 401(k) contributions.

"We thought we had the perfect plan," says Patti Webster. "When the bottom fell out of the market, it kind of fell out of our perfect plan as well."

Today in their mid-60s, they have completed the house but have worked two years longer than planned and expect to work two years more.

"We are having to spend another two years in just trying to catch up with what the market did to us," Ms. Webster says.