Are you a
super-ager?
Are you a
super-ager?
If you’re older than 80 and have never had a long-lasting serious illness, you’re one of the ‘wellderly’.
But what’s the secret? Living a healthy life into your twilight years and defying ageing may be easier than you think – and now might be the best time to start.
Journalist Sally Shore investigates.
Have you checked your VO2 Max recently? Is your Pulse Ox Acclimation configured on your smartwatch? How many intensity minutes have you racked up this week? Welcome to 21st century health.
These measurements – while they may not seem real, even though they are – are just a few of the ways that you can keep track of, and adopt, your health patterns in order to increase your longevity.
Bryan Johnson – the American tech billionaire going to extreme lengths to reverse his ageing – would argue there are far more sophisticated (and expensive) ways to increase your longevity. But what about the world’s super-agers? They say not.
Renowned cardiologist and best-selling author, Eric Topol, has been studying longevity for decades. So far, Topol and his team of researchers have studied over 1,400 ‘super-agers’ for the Wellderly study – these are people aged 80-plus, who have never had any common chronic medical conditions or diseases, including cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Through these studies, his team found that, while genes play a role in our natural decline, lifestyle is by far the biggest factor when it comes to healthy ageing.
“Research in longevity science shows that most of how we age comes from our daily habits,” adds Dr Ajay Bagga, Senior General Practice Leader at Vitality partner Nuffield Health. “People who regularly sleep well, eat nourishing foods, stay active and manage stress better often have a biological age that’s younger than their actual years,” he says.
Biological age, Vitality’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Harpreet Sarna, says is different to your chronological age and “[it] may be possible to slow down or even reverse through targeted lifestyle changes – and it’s never too late to start.” Has someone told Johnson?
Be a blue zoner
Another attribute of the ‘super-well’ is their memory capabilities. Neurologist Emily Rogalski at the University of Chicago is one of the leading experts for the SuperAgeing Research Initiative. She found that super-agers have the memory ability of someone at least 20-30 years younger, as well as sharper, healthier brains and tend to have stronger social relationships compared with their cognitively average peers.
What’s keeping the wellderly’s minds sharp, I hear you ask? According to a university study, led by Sandra Weintraub, an active social life was the common denominator between these super-agers, despite having very different lifestyles.
Don’t believe us that it’s that easy to maintain excellent overall health into your 80s? Just look at those living in the world’s ‘blue zones’: Loma Linda, California; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece; and Okinawa, Japan.
These regions have a higher than average community age, with many people living well into their 80s and 90s. “Residents share interesting similarities. Instead of structured workouts, blue zoners incorporate natural movement in their routine, such as walking and gardening, and remain active throughout the day,” says Bagga.
“They eat mostly plant-based meals packed with vegetables, beans, whole grains and healthy fats. Blue zoners also have strong social bonds – staying close to family and friends provides emotional support and reduces stress – and they live with a strong sense of purpose. Having meaningful routines or passions keep minds and spirits alive,” he adds.
Is time on your side?
If you don’t want to adopt methods like upper echelons of society and spend 60 minutes in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber – incidentally, this allows you to breathe pure oxygen, which is said to help stall the ageing process, even helping the American basketball superstar, Lebron James, increase circulation – you could better spend your energy on the habits of the blue zoners.
And, if you’re interested, now might be just the right time to start thinking about your health. The TikTok viral ‘October theory’ is a motivational trend that declares the last three months of the year as the perfect time to change your life for the better and set goals.
Unlike 1st January and New Year’s resolutions, the October Theory is a softer way to start making incremental changes to your life, without the self-judgement and potential unrealistic goals set at the start of a new year.
Ready to get started?
Bagga and Sarna have set out some health ageing tips below to help you be more like a blue zoner this autumn.
Prioritise restful nights
Bagga: “Build a calming evening routine – dim the lights, put devices away and aim for a consistent 7–9 hours of quality rest each night.”
Eat to support longevity
Sarna: “Nutrition is very important for ageing well. Evidence suggests whole foods can support cellular repair and a Mediterranean diet can have a positive effect on ageing.”
Keep your body moving
Bagga: “Staying active doesn’t necessarily mean spending hours in the gym. Daily walks, climbing stairs, gentle stretching or lifting light weights all help maintain strength, flexibility and balance.”
