New research is showing that focusing on your health after 60 is just as important as before 60. Researchers at the University of Toronto were looking at a group of more than 50,000 older adults who were part of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. The researchers zoomed in on a cohort of roughly 8,000 people over the age of 60 who had reported less than optimal well-being at the beginning of the study, but who over a three-year period had managed to show improvement in one or more health areas such as physical well-being, social well-being, or mental health well-being.
It's an important finding, because it runs counter to the narrative that the years past 60 are necessarily ones of decline, not self-improvement. Crucially, the researchers found that good mental health was a key to having a chance of improvement. Those who described themselves at the beginning of the study as being socially isolated, lonely, or otherwise in poor mental health were unlikely to show improvement. But among those who were in good mental health or were able to establish it during the study period, staying physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and getting good sleep, all led to improvements in reported health.
Where to begin? The senior author of the study suggests checking out older-adult-friendly exercise classes, chronic disease self-management programs, and mental health support to begin your journey to optimal well-being.