START ANYTIME ON ANTI-AGING

Growing research suggests that adopting healthy habits can significantly alter the course of aging even if you’re older than middle age. Many of the same benefits as people who have been active all their lives, according to a recent Swedish study of over 2,000 men. “The older you are, the more important lifestyle choices become,” says Robert Palmer, M.D., clinical director of geriatric medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

As more people live into their 80s, 90s, and beyond, researchers are asking what it takes not just to survive but to thrive. In the Journal of Gerontology explored the secrets of successful aging by following 2,432 older men and women for a decade. Those who aged with little disability tended to have a moderate-to-high income. Their lifestyle choices also helped set them apart. They didn’t smoke, drank in moderation, maintained a positive outlook, and reported less stress.

Your brain needs a workout just as much as your arms and legs. Education and an active work life when younger can help ward off dementia later building a cognitive so that small losses in function are not as noticeable. A recent study found that while career success in midlife boosted, so did staying motivated, working hard and being dependable. A 2009 study in 2009 of 500 men and women 75 and older, and published in the Journal of Neurology found that they could delay cognitive decline by participating in mentally stimulating activities such as reading, writing, doing puzzles and participating in group discussions, and playing games or music.