Do you think that at 50 you are already on the decline mentally and physically? Hopefully not, because such an idea is wrong and possibly even harmful, like one Long-term study on aging with more than 11,300 participants suggests:

Almost half (around 45 percent) of the now 65 to 99-year-old women and men had not worsened over the course of twelve years, but had improved – mentally, physically or both. Whether someone made progress also depended on the image of age they had already internalized at the start of their studies.

Over the observation period, 45 percent of the participants improved mentally and/or physically. About 28 percent were quicker on their feet, around 32 percent gained cognitively. If we include those whose cognitive performance remained stable, more than half defied the common idea of ​​inevitable mental decline in old age.

Inner attitude towards aging influenced

“Our results show that improvements in later life are not rare – on the contrary,” emphasizes lead author Becca R. Levy, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Yale School of Public Health. You can’t tell if you just look at the average values. “However, if you look at the individual progressions, a completely different story emerges,” explains Levy.

Even people with normal baseline levels improved over time. This contradicts the assumption that progress in old age only occurs when someone recovers from an illness or from particular setbacks.

How to improve your fitness as you age

In order to stay mentally and physically up to date as you get older, experts recommend various measures.

• Regularly stimulate the brain, for example by learning a new language or taking up a new hobby
• Maintaining social contacts, i.e. spending time with family and friends
• Regular exercise in the fresh air, this promotes blood circulation, among other things
• A balanced diet, which sometimes improves the ability to concentrate

A combination of endurance and strength training is suitable to promote physical fitness. All organ systems, bones, cartilage and also mental health benefit from this.