Living longer is only half the story of aging. A growing body of research suggests that each generation is arriving at older age in better shape than the one before.
According to a study published in the journal Nature Aging, researchers tracked combined physical, mental, and sensory function across thousands of older adults in the long-running English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, and compared the pattern with a parallel study in China. More recent generations, they found, entered later life with higher capacity, and their declines came more slowly.
The gains were large enough to shift the arithmetic of age. In their data, the researchers concluded, a 68-year-old born in 1950 had the functional capacity of a 62-year-old born a decade earlier.
Allyson Good curates senior living, health, and family content. She is formerly the Managing Editor of Active Life, a print newspaper published in 2016-2017 for seniors, choosing practical articles on health, money, safety, and everyday living for older readers. She is also an avid gardener and offers up Garden Hints and Tips on a regular basis.
