The Art of Successful Aging

Take a look to the right and left of you. If you see another human being, it would be fair to assume that each of you are aging. We all age. As we do, we have the opportunity to take control of how we age and the choice to live our lives with the highest quality. The power lies within each of us.

The MacArthur Foundation, with great science minds like Jonas Salk, conducted a ten-year landmark study on aging. The study concluded that 70% of physical aging is determined by our lifestyle, with 30% being determined by genetics. A compelling presentation of factors that determine how well we age, citing the results of the MacArthur Foundation Study of Aging in America, can be found in a book entitled “Successful Aging” by John W. Rowe, M.D. and Robert L. Kahn, Ph.D. Our lifestyle is made up of the choices that we make every day. Rather than being a process of steady decline, aging can be a time of growth and new opportunities if we maintain our physical and mental skills, reduce our risk for disease and injury, and stay productive and engaged with life. We all probably know someone who is successfully aging. It may even be us. What is the secret?

Successful aging can be broken into four categories. I call them the SIPS of aging – Social, Intellectual, Physical and Spiritual. In promoting the social component, moving into an active retirement community, making new friends, or learning new skills and hobbies have been proven to provide substantial health benefits. When maximizing the intellectual component, we force the neurons in our brain to fire more frequently. This actually exercises and strengthens our brain. Learning a new language, playing Sudoku or a musical instrument, forces the brain to work harder to accomplish something it is not used to. The physical component gets the most attention as we are consistently reminded to exercise and make healthy choices in our diet. This does not mean that you have to run three miles every day. Studies have shown that getting your heart rate up to a level that you struggle to finish a sentence without being out of breath three times-a-day does wonders for your blood flow and overall circulation. I encourage you to always focus on what you can do, not what are unable to. The last aspect of successful aging is being spiritual. Spirituality is defined as anything that you do that allows you to quiet your mind. It can be things like religious practice, volunteering, painting, reading, meditating, tai chi, and walking. I am a mountaineer and like to climb high ice and snow covered peaks. How is climbing a mountain spiritual? There is only silence, but for the sound of each breath and step that I take. My mind is free of distractions. For me, life is about the journey and the destination.

So whatever path that you choose for yourself, whether living your life, moving into a retirement community, or staying in your home, just remember that the power of how you age and your lifestyle choices are primarily in your hands. It is never too late or early to start the journey. This applies to young and old alike. There is merit to the concept of living long (and well) and dying short. The choice is yours. Believe in yourself.