It's Time to Act on Active Aging

Active Aging is a strategy for aging successfully that39s based on the premise that an energetic orientation to life contributes to a healthier more productive lifestyle Aging and retirement used to be a mostly sedentary stage of life which correlated with a much lower life expectancy than we enjoy today Years of hard work in an industrialized society gave way to the quotrewardquot of retirement and a longawaited chance to step back sit down and relax With improvements in medical science diet and personal care we39re not only living longer we39re living better lives longerThe importance of Active Aging has been advanced by the promotional efforts of the International Council on Active Aging ICAA In 2003 the organization established Active Aging Week an annual awareness and educational event that celebrates aging and explores the benefits of an active lifestyle From its origins as a grassroots event Active Aging Week has grown into a global movement in recognition of the societal and economic importance of a vital aging populationAs a case in point Japan is one of the world39s oldest countries and its population is actually in decline Absent increases in birthrates or immigration Japan is dedicated to improving the productivity of its aging population to improve its national economy and by extension the welfare of its peopleThat said none of the macro benefits of Active Aging can be realized unless individuals choose to embrace a different way of living Here39s some insight into what drives that type of personal choice and how we might influence it for the good of allIt39s Physical Fundamentally Active Aging is about engaging in activities that promote physical fitness While exercise is an important part of this proper nutrition and rest are also essential If a person of age does all of this well they will use their energy more efficiently and feel energetic more often While the exercise choices for people of age used to be limited we39ve seen a rapid proliferation of lowimpact alternatives such as biking Pilates and Zumba And wellnessenhancing physical activities are not limited to the gymActive vacationing is one of the fastestgrowing sectors of the travel industry amp8212 and guess who has the time and money to walk or bike their way through fascinating destinations The best part of the physical aspect of Active Aging is the virtuous cycle that it initiates When you feel good your mental outlook improves and when you can live with confidence you can often do more than you thought possibleIt39s Social When you39re active you39re more likely to be interacting with others which helps people of age feel vital and relevant It39s well established that aging people are concerned about their risk of feeling invisible or becoming isolated and emerging dynamics such as the preference to age in place may actually increase the likelihood of this risk So it is with good reason that Active Agers are exercising in groups joining clubs and staying in the workplace to experience the upside of social engagementAnd then there39s social media While these platforms can be a source of troublesome anxiety for some of our youth the social aspect of social media clearly benefits our aging population They39re logging lots of hours on Facebook connecting with their friends more frequently rediscovering old friends and even making new ones While there39s no substitute for real human contact social media is creating incremental socialization that benefits people of age When it comes to staying connected and feeling vital more can only be a good thingIt39s Intellectual People of age are also getting more actively involved in intellectual pursuits as a way of keeping their mind as fit as their bodies and souls Whether its puzzles games mindware or lifelong learning boomers are defying the inertia of agerelated decline by dedicating themselves to growthWhile physical fitness gets most of the Active Agers39 attention mental fitness is every bit as important Active Agers are discovering the value of mental exercise and are stretching their brains by trying new things and living more curiously Challenging yourself intellectually is a smart way to preserve sound cognitive skills an attentive memory and by extension a positive emotional outlook on lifeHelping people age more successfully is a worthy and admirable pursuit We39ve cited the reasons why this is smart public policy but the great news is that the private sector is also getting more actively engaged Not surprisingly the first movers were entities such as healthcare providers and insurers who had a vested interest in promoting healthier lifestyles But this created the momentum needed to prompt others to follow such that we39re now seeing real progress in the proliferation of products and services dedicated to the social and intellectual aspects of Active AgingLike most aspects of the aging space Active Aging is still incredibly underdeveloped and the alternatives for new offerings are endless With 76 million boomers experiencing a new aspect of aging every day it39s time to act We will all grow when we help people of age enjoy the positive lives that defy declinePhoto courtesy of BoomAgersClick the social buttons to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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It's Time to Act on Active Aging

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Peter Hubbell

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It's Time to Act on Active Aging

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