[ExI] Good News for older Exi members!

[BillK]

You Can Still Improve as You Age—With the Right Mindset

New research is challenging traditional assumptions of aging
By Jake Currie <https://nautil.us/author/jake-currie>    March 11, 2026

Getting older comes with the inevitable deterioration of our minds and
bodies, right?
Not according to newly published <https://www.mdpi.com/2308-3417/11/2/28>
research in *Geriatrics* that’s challenging traditional assumptions about
the aging process. Instead, we’re capable of showing some improvements
throughout our twilight years—all it takes is the right mindset.

<
https://nautil.us/you-can-still-improve-as-you-age-with-the-right-mindset-1278841
>
Quote:

Researchers led by Becca R. Levy of Yale University followed more than
11,000 participants in the longitudinal Health and Retirement Study, which
monitors the health of older Americans. The team tracked cognitive
function, using a global performance assessment, and physical function,
using walking speed as a metric. They found that over a 12-year follow-up
period 45% of people improved in at least one of these areas—32% improved
cognitively and 28% improved physically.

“What’s striking is that these gains disappear when you only look at
averages,” Levy said in a statement
<https://ysph.yale.edu/news-article/yale-study-challenges-notion-that-aging-means-decline-finds-many-older-adults-improve-over-time/>.
“If you average everyone together, you see decline. But when you look at
individual trajectories, you uncover a very different story. A meaningful
percentage of the older participants that we studied got better.”

So what separated these lucky few from the rest?

According to the researchers, part of the difference was all in their
heads. Participants who possessed more positive age beliefs were
significantly more likely to see their cognition and physical condition
improve.
-----------------------------------------------

Interesting.     You've got to think positive thoughts!
BillK
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