Keeping Your Body and Brain Fit and Healthy
(from The Search for Fulfillment Chapter 12)
Many people unfortunately view aging in a negative way and are convinced that with each passing year, they become weaker, stupider, and more of a bother to their friends and families. Although our society is getting older, social attitudes toward aging have not kept apace with the population boom. However, the reality is that regardless of their health or objective circumstances, people tend to become happier and better adjusted as they get older. Researchers have found that older adults are better able to handle negative emotions and conflict, and rather than dwelling on their limitations, become adept at focusing on their strengths. They also tend to experience fewer negative emotions because their able to focus their attention on the positive events in their lives.
The key to aging well is activity— physical as well as mental. Physical activity can maintain our bodies; mental activities help to maintain our minds. Most experts who study the aging of intellectual functions recommend that we engage in work and leisure activities that challenge us to solve problems, use our memories, and learn new skills. These activities include using our verbal skills such as by doing crossword puzzles as well as puzzles like Sudoku that put our spatial and logic abilities to the test.
If you're ready to learn more about whether you're doing everything you can to age successfully, try taking the Healthy Behaviors Quiz . This quiz will help you take stock of what you're doing now to age well. The results are now partially available along with some recommendations for your own healthy aging. After you take the quiz, you'll be sent to the feedback website.
