People who think positively about getting older often live longer, healthier lives. Here is how to reconsider your perspective.
At a pool party this summer, Johnnie Cooper climbed onto the diving board, executed a perfect dive and then joined a raucous game of Marco Polo. The occasion? Her 90th birthday.
“I’ve always looked forward to this age,” said Cooper, who lives in Huntsville, Alabama, and is retired from the US Army Aviation and Missile Command. “You no longer have a lot of the struggles you had. There’s a lot more peace.”
Her enthusiasm for getting older could be part of the reason she has lived such a long, rich life. While everyone’s experience with ageing is different, experts are increasingly finding that having a positive mindset is associated with ageing well.
A decades-long study of 660 people published in 2002 showed that those with positive beliefs around getting older lived seven and a half years longer than those who felt negatively about it.
Since then, research has found that a positive mindset toward ageing is associated with lower blood pressure, a generally longer and healthier life and a reduced risk of developing dementia. Research also shows that people with a more positive perception of ageing are more likely to take preventive health measures – like exercising – which, in turn, may help them live longer.
I – Word Understanding
Raucous – unpleasantly loud, or behaving in a noisy and disorderly way.
II – Have Your Say
1, Is it normal to worry about getting old?
2, What is the best way to deal with aging?
a, Include physical activity in your daily routine. Physical activity increases blood flow to your whole body, including your brain.
b, Eat a healthy diet. A heart-healthy diet may benefit your brain.
c, Stay mentally active.
d, Be social.
e, Treat cardiovascular disease.
f, Quit smoking.
988 Do you worry about getting old? The benefits of changing your mindset about ageing
