On the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be tempting to overlook long-term aging concerns and return to your usual lifestyle. Not so fast, especially if you are over 50.
We have another pandemic to be concerned about. A dependence pandemic is also threatening the whole world, regardless of economic status.
Optimizing “functional ability” is the goal of The United Nations’ Decade of Healthy Aging (2021-2030). In January 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a report entitled “Decade of healthy ageing: Baseline report.” According to the report, at least 142 million people over age 60 are currently unable to meet all their basic daily needs. That’s about how many people who have had COVID-19!
Over the past year, we have had to break our habits to stay healthy. Before we go back to our old lifestyle ways, let’s consider what healthy aging is all about, and how we can promote it.
DEFINITION OF HEALTHY AGING
WHO defines healthy aging as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age.”
Functional ability is defined as five interrelated abilities that all older people should enjoy:
- Meet basic human needs.
- Continue to learn and make decisions.
- Be mobile.
- Build and maintain relationships.
- Contribute to society.
CULTURAL HOSTILITY TO AGING
Avid readers of this blog have already figured out that brain health is key to these five abilities of healthy aging. The good news is that this Decade of Healthy Aging campaign may help us improve our brain health as well as quality of life.
But first, we have to navigate a major obstacle: cultural hostility to aging. Many Americans view aging as a bad thing. The older brain is a piece of equipment that is wearing out and losing its social utility. Senior moments and failing memory are giggled at as normal. Retirement is a loss of usefulness.
Here’s a more positive attitude about aging. What does not kill you makes you wiser—and more useful—every day. The longer you live, the more wisdom you have to harvest and to share. Wisdom, not speed, is the brain’s performance benchmark over age 40.
It’s time we pioneer new ways to see aging in a positive light and embrace healthy aging.
FIVE TIPS FOR YOUR BRAIN’S HEALTHY AGING
The WHO report’s five abilities of healthy aging (mentioned above) require a healthy brain. You have to keep your brain growing to keep your brain healthy. Over the past 15 years, I have worked with thousands of people ages 40-110 on brain training to “use it” rather than “lose it.” From my experience, these five habits keep brains growing and getting better with age:
- Choose your words carefully.
The brain submits to physical surgery, but words are the scalpel of the mind. Beyond midlife, the struggle to maintain brain health is won or lost with words, more so than nutrition, exercise, or supplements. Words let you conquer fear and maintain hope. Take charge of your words. Choose to say kind things to yourself and others.
- Challenge yourself to learn.
Curiosity motivates the mind to learn. Learning makes your brain grown new connections. Commit yourself to lifelong learning in a class. If you stop learning, your brain takes an early checkout.
- Motivate yourself to move.
If you like to move, good for you, keep it up. If you like to sit and have trouble motivating yourself to move, use social momentum to make it easier. Walk with a friend on participate in a class.
- Use it or lose it.
The brain is like a portfolio of assets: its needs periodic rebalancing to keep growing. Make sure you engage in activities that work all five brain assets.
- Remain useful.
Meaning and purpose are different for everyone. It’s up to you to find ways to engage with others in meaningful ways.
SHARE YOUR WISDOM
Sharing our wisdom to serve others is the evolutionary point of a long life. Gray hair, wrinkles, retirement, and physical challenges mark the beginning of a new life chapter, not the end of our stories. Find new ways to share wisdom from your own life experiences. You will remain socially useful and help your brain get better with age.
Before you return to your usual lifestyle in the months ahead, consider if one of these tips could help you maintain your functional abilities and independence in the years ahead. While you are at it, have fun as you model healthy aging for others!