Common Traits of Super-Agers

Welcome to the era of super-aging. The U.N. estimates that half of today’s 5-year-olds can expect to live to 100. That is potentially exciting news, but only if we can enjoy those years. William J. Kole, author of The Big 100: The New World of Super-Aging, thinks he has found some answers.

Kole met Jeanne Calment who, at the time, was considered the oldest person who ever lived. Kole’s biggest takeaway was not Calment’s diet or exercise routine but her incredibly positive attitude. “This was a woman who liked to crack jokes at 121.”  Kole notes that a study found those who were positive about their aging lived 7.5 years longer than those who had negative beliefs.

Research also shows that people with a sense of meaning wind up living longer and having better overall physical health. Kole suggests a learner’s mindset can help you identify what makes life worth living. “She took fencing lessons when she was 85 years old,” he says of Calment. “She recorded a rap album at 120.” Kole suggests, “Having something to get up in the morning for, a reason to live, actually adds life and vigor, mentally and physically.”

Kole also notes that, “Faith adds years to our lives. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam… studies have been done to suggest that people who have a religious belief tend to live up to five and a half years longer than people who don’t.” But faith and spirituality do not always have religious ties. “Simply relinquishing your burdens to forces greater than yourself can make a difference in your longevity,” Kole shares.

In summary, eating well and exercising are good for us all. Having a positive attitude, a sense of purpose and a faith practice, though, are common traits among super-agers, and they may be even more important. Those might seem easy to do, but putting them into practice takes intention – and pays big dividends!