Beyond the platitudes: how can we age well?

There are so many articles out there about “healthy aging”, but most of them are bizarrely vague.  Like ads for menstrual products or incontinence, they seem to be convinced that we’d all run away screaming if they actually mentioned what aging is actually like, so we’re left with commercials of silver-haired couples taking romantic strolls on the beach, senior women lifting two-pound weights in yoga pants, and similarly-aged men mowing the lawn and looking purposefully at the horizon.  It’s not that there’s anything wrong with beach dates or light workouts, but it doesn’t really address the issue of aging head-on.  It’s like a dream of healthy seniorhood, as imagined by people who still don’t believe they’ll ever actually be old.

(Yes, I said old.  It’s not a dirty word!)

But even if it’s usually polished up beyond recognition, healthy aging is a major concern.  Across the world, the percentage of the population over the age of 60 is increasing, and by 2050 this percentage is expected to surpass 30% in Canada and most of Europe.  We ain’t getting’ any younger!  So what does it mean to age well?  And what do we need to do in order to get there?

Defining healthy aging

Health is a broad term that means different things for different people.  But in general, it’s looking at functional ability, regardless of the particular quirks that your own body or mind develops as you age.  The World Health Organization defines functional ability in the following terms:

●       The ability to meet your basic needs (healthy finances, a safe place to live, warm clothes, clean water, nutritious food, access to medical care, etc)

●       The ability to learn, grow and make decisions (hobbies, autonomy)

●       The ability to be mobile (walking, exercising, stretching, driving)

●       The ability to build and maintain relationships (family, friends, community)

●       The ability to contribute to society (volunteering)

Aging isn’t always easy

It would be nice if our minds and bodies kept functioning as though we were perpetually 25, but that’s not the reality we live in.  What is our reality is that we have choices available to us that can help us lead meaningful and fulfilling lives at every age, even as we face new challenges.  So today, think a little bit about the future.  Take a walk, call your sister, volunteer for that cause you’ve been meaning to help out, or schedule that massage.  Aging isn’t always easy, but it’s a privilege all the same.  So here’s to making the most of the opportunity.