Positive attitude slows down aging

Mentally fit and active into old age

08/11/2014

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently announced that by 2050, over-60s could reach more than two billion. Not all people are able to stay physically fit and mentally active until old age. However, a positive attitude can improve the starting position, as one expert explained.

Older society
The world needs to adjust to an aging society. It was only recently that the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that by 2050, over-60s could reach more than two billion. Life expectancy is also rising in Germany, but many people dread aging. As the Jenaer Altersforscher Christoph Englert now said in an interview with the news agency dpa, must be cleaned up with the idea, „that age equals less power“. It is rather the case that also seniors are capable of high intellectual achievements. „The picture one has of one's own age influences how well one physically and mentally ages“, so the expert.

Seniors are strongly represented at sporting events these days
Christoph Englert, who claims to be doing a lot of sports himself, said in the interview that it stands out, „that in the sporting events, the age groups of the 60- and sometimes even 70-, 80-year-olds are still strongly represented.“ As life expectancy increases on average by three months per year, today we live around five years longer than people 20 years ago, said the researchers. The reasons for this are diverse. Thus, according to his statement, "our life has become easier, for example, when compared to the hard work 100 years ago, for example in agriculture". In addition, medical progress certainly plays a significant role. „It can be observed that we age more slowly overall“, so Englert.

Keep your brain fit by learning a new language
As the age researcher told dpa, the physical performance in old age naturally decreases, but there are „Studies that prove that cognitive things such as language learning in old age can be quite good.“ Similarly, Ulman Lindenberger of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin said recently, pointing out the positive effects that can be felt when older people learn a new language or surround themselves with lively grandchildren. For some, this could keep the brain fit until old age. Prof. Englert, said that unfortunately it often has a negative connotation when talking about aging. As long as there is talk of an aging society and there is something threatening about it, we will age even worse, according to the expert.

Seniors in Asia enjoy a higher reputation
Asked if the quality of aging is influenced by the way we think about aging, he said it was, and there are interesting psychological studies on how a society's image of age reacts to aging. For example, older people in Asia enjoy a very different reputation than here. „We are more powerful and should finally clear up with the image that age equals less power. If you see someone like former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, it shows that you can be cognitively very strong in your old age and, so to speak, age positively“, said Englert.

Do not push older people on the siding
The researcher explained what he under „to age positively“ understands: „By that I mean a certain willingness to perform and flexibility to cognitively not reduce.“ In addition, it is important for people of advanced age to have the feeling of being needed. Positive aging is not promoted by putting people at 65 on the siding and telling them they can not work but retire. Then you age worse. Positive aging contributes to having a job and being integrated into society, like a grandmother caring for grandchildren.

You can not stop aging
On the subject of the decline in physical performance in old age, Prof. Englert explained that it's all about age research, „to understand the power of genes“. On the basis of various organisms, such as mice and fish, tried, „to get an idea of ​​how many genes are ever involved in aging“. If this is understood, you can see if the signal paths can be intervened. „Stopping aging is difficult, but we know that as a society we can slow down aging“, so Englert. As the expert concludes, the oldest woman living on Earth is "122 years old". So far known, she was „until her last days, a teen-looking woman who fought at 117 and rode a bicycle“. But even if there are many examples, „where aging has been slowed down by a positive attitude to it. You will not be able to reverse or stop it.“ (Ad)

Picture: twinlili