1. Mindset is important for aging well.
Messages about aging for women are unfortunately very toxic. We are told that we are in rapid decline and that many women feel invisible. Yet research shows that how we view our own aging predicts our ability to age. So, if you have a negative view of aging, you are statistically more likely to have a heart attack or cognitive decline, earlier in life.
What's exciting is that the opposite is also true: if you view aging as a time of exploration and exhilaration, you'll be happier, healthier, and live seven years longer. There is a lot of science behind this. For example, a 2022 study of 14,000 adults over 50 found that those who were most positive about aging had a 43 percent lower risk of dying from any cause over the next four years than those who were least positive about aging.
But these studies do not tell us how get this positive state of mind, especially in the face of such negative messages about our aging. However, I felt like I had the answer: outdoor adventure.
2. Outdoor adventure can change our perception of aging.
I jumped in the ocean with the Wave Chasers, a group of women in their 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond (one member is 99!) who bodyboard together in San Diego. I wanted to understand why they chose to get into this sport and what they get out of it.
Loraine Vaught told me that bodyboarding changed her life. When I asked how, she pointed out the big, cold Pacific Ocean; look at the courage it took to step in, look at the courage it took to let himself be knocked over by the waves, look at the way each Wave Chaser helped each other, look at the fun they were having. What she was saying was that none of the Wave Chasers were doing what was expected of them at their age. They certainly didn't consider themselves fragile, cognitively impaired, or boring!
