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Living a healthy lifestyle has been proven to promote longevity, but experts are taking it seven steps further.
Longevity experts David Cravit and Larry Wolf, co-founders of the web magazine and newsletter SuperAgingNews.com, recently published “The SuperAging Workbook” – a follow-up to their 2023 book, “SuperAging: Getting Older Without Getting Old.”
In the book, the authors map out the “7 As of super-aging” for optimal health and longevity.
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In an interview with Fox News Digital, Cravit and Wolf talked about the art of “getting older without getting old.”
David Cravit (left) and Larry Wolf (right), are authors of “The Super Aging Workbook.” (David Cravit; Larry Wolf)
“I may be 65, but I could have 30 more years to go here,” said Canada-based Cravit. “I can do new stuff. I can create new things. I can grow. I can learn. I can fulfill.”
“There are 101,000 Americans over the age of 100 … If I have a positive attitude, I can literally aspire to live to 100, and that’s who the super-agers are.”
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Below are the seven As of super-aging that are shared in the book.
1. Attitude
Having a positive attitude is the No. 1 aspect of super-aging, according to the authors.
“It’s good to have a good attitude. It’s kind of a generic belief,” Cravit said. “But now, they’ve researched this right down to the cellular level. It’s not just a generically good thing. It affects your health and longevity.”
“The SuperAging Workbook” includes mental exercises to help maintain cognitive ability. (Flashpoint Books)
“People with a positive attitude outlive people with a negative attitude because it reduces stress, which, in turn, reduces inflammation, and inflammation is the cause of most age-related diseases.”
Cravit encourages seniors to actively improve their attitude and work on thinking positively.
2. Awareness
There is constantly new research emerging on how to live a longer life, which is why awareness is key for longevity, according to the experts.
“It’s about getting older without getting old.”
This includes new studies on the benefits of reducing the amount of time spent sitting or changing an aspect of your diet.
Staying aware of the latest findings and “proactively going after them” will allow for proper lifestyle changes to be made, Cravit suggested.
3. Activity
In addition to proper nutrition, staying active with daily exercise is a proven way to extend lifespan.
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A focus on flexibility, strength, breathing, balance and overall movement is a “critical” part of health, according to Wolf.
“Just get up a few times a day, do five minutes of exercise, move around, do a few squats, do anything for five minutes,” he suggested. “It will have an enormous positive impact on your well-being.”
Staying physically and mentally active is key for longevity. (iStock)
Mental activity is another critical variable, as it’s important to “constantly exercise” the brain to keep it young and sharp, he said.
“You need to do new things and work on difficult things to maintain your intellectual acuity,” added Wolf, who is currently in his 80s.
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“I’ve taken up Tai Chi swordsmanship, which is a lot of fun … it really stretches me cognitively in a new way.”
4. Achievement
After retirement, it’s crucial to continue setting and striving for new goals, whether it pertains to your previous profession or not.
“You need goals,” Wolf said. “Whether it’s volunteering, going back to school, learning something new or a side hustle … you need purpose. You need to do something and be focused on it and enjoy it.”
Pursuing purpose after retirement is important to overall health, experts agree. (iStock)
5. Attachment
Attachments to important people in your life — partners, family and friends — will also continue to keep you young.
“I’m lucky enough to have been married to the same wonderful lady for almost 60 years,” Wolf said.
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“Cultivating contact with people you love, with people you like, expanding your social network, are all very critical.”
6. Autonomy
Maintaining autonomy can help ensure physical and financial independence as people age, the experts state in the book. Doing things for yourself can help you live longer and offer a greater sense of control over your life.
“If you’re going to live longer, you’ve got to be able to finance it,” Wolf said. “You need to manage your money so that it lasts, and you can maintain what you need monetarily to live and thrive well.”
These seven simple steps will “grant a longer, healthier and much more fulfilling life,” the authors said. (iStock)
7. Avoidance
Seniors can face many obstacles as they age, including ageism and online scammers, the authors cautioned.
Wolf encourages seniors to be aware of where information is coming from online and “who’s offering you what.”
“The internet is rampant with bad people trying to scam in some fairly inventive ways,” he said.
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The most “critical component” of super-aging is living a fulfilling life, Wolf added.
“Have the right attitude, make yourself aware of critical things that are going on, keep moving, eat right, cultivate your social network and do things that you’re interested in,” he advised.
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“It’s simple, basic, everyday stuff that you can do, that virtually anyone can do. And it will grant a longer, healthier, and much more fulfilling life … Life is great, and it can continue to be great if you simply approach it in the right way.”
