LIMITLESS
•Centr Team
What if getting old isn't as bad as you think?
What scares you the most about aging? Loneliness. Losing the ones you love. No longer being able to do the things you enjoy. Losing your independence. Fading beauty. Becoming invisible. Sagging skin. Forgetting things. Facing mortality…
In a society that values youth above all else, growing older can seem terrifying. We spend a fortune trying to fight it with creams and clothing, while at the same time applauding when movie stars or veteran athletes show us that age is no barrier.
Inspired by Chris’s experience in the Acceptance episode of Limitless and the kick-ass members of our Centr community who are achieving goals in their 50s, 60s and 70s, we want to wipe away the preconceptions and take a fresh look at the science on aging.
Because what if the best way to age well is not to fight it, but embrace it?
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Where is it written that we have to look and feel a certain way as we get older? I say don’t ever let age define you.
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1. Less time spent on regret
You might imagine old age as a heavy time, weighed down by regrets and all the things that could have been. Yet, those things that make us cringe and keep us awake at 3 in the morning actually lose their hold on us as we age.
Studies have shown that we spend less time wallowing in regret as we age and become better at compromise and seeing different points of view.
In the final episode of Limitless, Chris learns that life doesn't end when old age sets in.
In Germany, researchers had people play a gambling game designed to induce regret. While people in their 20s agonized over losing, those in their 60s did not. The older players were also less likely to take big risks to try to redeem their losses.
So although mistakes and embarrassments may be an unavoidable part of life, we can all look forward to fewer sleepless nights agonizing over them.
2. Less anger, more happiness
Psychologist Laura Carstensen, the founder of the Stanford Center on Longevity, believes one of the best-kept secrets of aging is that you get happier.
In our younger years, life is full of drama. That’s why being young is synonymous with being angry and how punk rock came to exist. But a US survey found that, once we make it through our angry teenage years, this anger steadily declines from our 20s through to our 70s. As for the stress that comes with all that youthful anger, it’s “falling off a cliff” in mid-life.
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You're never too old to feel great.
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This is backed up by research from Carstensen. After following a group aged 18 to 94 for a decade, her team found that as people grow older, their emotions are less up and down and they feel fewer negative emotions.
In other words, aging allows you to step off the emotional roller coaster.
3. You know what moves you
One of the great things about growing older is that you understand your body better. You know what foods make you feel sluggish. You know when you need to drink more water. You know that you get more out of Pilates or HIIT than Jazzercise. (But if you did try it, no regrets!)
Along with knowing what moves you, you may also have more time to dedicate to exercise and less concern about other people’s opinions. While many of us associate aging with growing weaker or losing mobility, that doesn’t have to be your reality.
As a Centr member, you are at an advantage. You already have – or are at least working on – a regular exercise routine. Exercise can prevent age-related muscle decline and help you to maintain muscle mass. This won’t just keep you moving better, it can help you live longer. A study found that muscle mass is a better predictor of longevity than weight or BMI.
That’s why we agree with member Joanne when she says: “You’re never too old to feel great.”
4. Smarter where it counts
We’re all guilty of lumping seniors into the ‘too old, too slow’ basket at some point. But before you pass judgment (or worry that you’ll be the one left behind), it’s important to know that when it comes to certain vital abilities, our minds actually get smarter and sharper as we age.
A study of the mental abilities of 6000 people found that while older respondents may lose some of their mathematics skills and have slower response times, when it came to “vocabulary, spatial orientation, verbal memory and problem-solving abilities”, they were better in their 50s than they were in their 20s.
It turns out those extra years of accumulating knowledge comes in handy!
5. Rest and relaxation
Go on, admit it: you’ve already dreamed about what you’ll do when you retire, haven’t you? Road trip. Around the world adventure. Turning one of the kids’ bedrooms into a home gym. If you feel like responsibility is weighing you down right now, take comfort in the knowledge it won’t be around forever.
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With the help of Centr and my doctor, I am now in the best shape ever!...Cheers on aging!
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If you have kids, kids move out! (Well, that’s the idea.) At some stage, that retirement comes into view. If you’re lucky, this means less time looking out for others and working for their goals, and more time focusing on what YOU want.
6. Better sex
If we believe what we see in the movies and plastered on billboards, youth is sexy, old age is not. Yet there is no time limit on being sexually active – in fact, science suggests that we get better at sex with age.
According to research, life experience fosters “sexual wisdom”. While the frequency may go down, the quality goes up thanks to a lifetime of learning and increased confidence.
Excuse us while we check the calendar to see how long to go until we’re officially “aging”...
7. Hard-won wisdom
Older doesn’t always mean wiser. Yet the older you are, the more knowledge you have to draw on – as Chris discovers when he meets the residents of a retirement village in Limitless.
While younger people may reach decisions faster, studies have shown that older people are more sensitive to nuance. By sifting through the “quality of information” in their brains, they can better respond and react based on past experience.
Sociology professor Monika Ardelt, from the University of Florida, believes this wisdom is the “ace in the hole” that can help us find meaning, contentment and acceptance as we age.
And that’s what we’re really aiming for in life, isn’t it? Rather than living in fear of our own mortality, by accepting it and even embracing it, we can look forward to lives that only get richer as we get older.
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