To Your Health
March, 2022 (Vol. 16, Issue 03) |
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Only as Old as You Feel
By Editorial Staff
Anyone who's approaching their golden years – or is witnessing a friend, family member or loved one getting there – has undoubtedly started to ponder their own aging inevitability.
The most common thought, no doubt:
How can I stay as healthy and functional as possible, for as long as possible? Put into more simple terms, it's really a question of,
How can I stay "young," no matter how old I am? Here's a big way, according to research, and all it involves is your mindset.
Your attitude toward the aging process is a key determinant of your health and well-being as you age, according to research findings published in JAMA Network Open. Researchers discovered that among adults ages 50 and older, having the highest level of aging satisfaction was associated with better health (reduced risk of death), greater participation in health behaviors (such as physical activity) and higher psychosocial well-being (for example, reduced risk of depression / loneliness) compared to having the lowest level of aging satisfaction. These findings were maintained even four years after initially assessing participants' level of satisfaction toward the aging process.
What's your aging satisfaction level? The higher, the better according to this study, which makes perfect sense if you think about it. Don't worry about getting old; from a chronological perspective, you can't do anything about it. But you can change how old you feel, and it starts by how you approach the aging process. Talk to your doctor for more information.
