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For many, “aging” is synonymous with aches and pains, forgetfulness, loneliness, and ultimately death. Aging is inevitable, but research actually shows that
how you think about it can make a big difference in how gracefully you age.

As it turns out, holding on to negative stereotypes about aging may have a significant impact on your quality of life, preventing you from living to full capacity as you age.

In one study,1 psychological intervention designed to strengthen positive age stereotypes actually resulted in increased mobility and strength. As reported by the
New York Times:2

“Over and over, they’ve found that those who hold more positive age stereotypes behave differently as they age from those with more negative stereotypes, even when the groups are similar in other ways, including health status…

Older people with more positive views of aging do better on memory tests. They have better handwriting. They can walk faster. They’re more likely to recover fully from severe disability.Those with more positive self-perceptions of aging actually live longer, by an average of 7.5 years.”

Mind Over Matter-Your Mental Outlook Affects Your Fitness

This year i turned 60 and thought I would learn to do a handstand. With the help of my trainer Arnold Kolozsvari he helped me learn how to do one. It took me over four months but  as you can see in the video above, persistence paid off. Would definitely not try it without a spotter though.

The study in question, published in
Psychological Science,3 investigated ways to uplift people’s views on aging, and then looked at how this new mindset affected their
physical strength.

Proving the mind-body connection yet again, the results showed that taking a more positive view actually led to stronger physical functioning, even without added exercise.