Aging vs. Growing Old: It's Complicated

When growing children are acting out, some may say, "Act your age." But it's more complicated when Sandwiched Boomers are trying to figure out exactly what that means for them.

Is age set by the calendar? By your experiences? By how you look? By how you feel physically? By how others define you? By how you think about things? By your vision for the future?

All this week, we've been talking about how to stay young as we age healthfully, but is that too simplistic? Let's look today at some of the complexities involved in setting and reaching that goal.

Don't go overboard in holding on to a past definition of yourself. The new NBC website, Life Goes Strong, focusing on boomers, has an interesting take on how other family members may react when they see you grabbing on to your past image and refusing to let go. Teenagers are especially vulnerable to feelings of embarrassment when you try too hard to look and act like them.

Seek help when you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed. We were recently interviewed by the Healthy Place website about how to deal with stress and trauma in your life. You'll find a discussion in the video there about both the symptoms of stress and some of our tips tips about coping with it. And you'll find additional suggestions in articles on our website about how to better nourish yourself.

Include others in setting goals for your future. This may mean those close to you or reaching out to a wider community. A well-know religious leader stays youthful by involving himself with family, friends and the world at large. Betty White, with her lifelong concern for animals and her work advocating for them, has continued to dedicate herself to animal welfare. Draw on your connections to stay involved as you continue your life.

For more tips for aging gracefully, visit our website Her Mentor Center and scroll through some of our articles. And don't forget the sunscreen when you are out enjoying the summer!

Aging vs. Growing Old: It Doesn't Depend on the Calendar

Lifetime Achievement Award winner Betty White is in the news again.

It seems she is following the advice for staying young we gave you earlier this week: cultivate humor in your daily life; hang out with your peers; find the time to interact with younger friends too.

This time, she has jumped into the fray of those making predictions about the future of NBA basketball star LeBron James.

White has joined with her adopted city of Cleveland, hoping to entice LeBron to stay with the Cavaliers for another season. As she teases him in this clip with her Hot in Cleveland costars, she can make it worth his while to stay! At 88 (and ½ as Betty proudly declares), White is the poster child for reminding us to throw away the calendar when we are talking about age.

So here are some more tips for today about aging without growing old:

Work with what you've got to stay in shape. Start slowly, perhaps walking with a friend or exercising on your own. When you're ready, look for a fitness center that has classes for all levels of physical ability - ranging from salsa hi-impact aerobics through belly dancing, stretch classes, and water aerobics to chair classes and tai chi for balance. That way you'll be able to challenge you body no matter where you're starting - and have fun in the process. And incorporating healthy habits into your daily routine will help you feel younger.

Set goals for yourself and do something meaningful. Research shows that people who are sociable, generous, and goal-oriented are generally happier and healthier than other people. Think about what kinds of activities bring you the most satisfaction and plan how you can get more involved and spend more time doing them. You may want to look for places to volunteer in your community through Senior Corps or America's Natural and Cultural Resources Volunteer Portal. Or contact your local school or community center to for opportunities to mentor or tutor children. Sharing your wisdom with others will bring a spring into your step and joy into your life.

Although studies have found that there may be a gene for long life, you don't have to worry about the calendar, even if you're a Sandwiched Boomer. Instead, enjoy your age whatever it is and follow this week's tips to feel as young as you can.

Aging vs. Growing Old: Betty White as a Role Model

A real standout this summer on TV - amidst all the youthful faces or wanna' be's botoxed, lifted, heavily made-up ones - has been Betty White on the new sitcom Hot in Cleveland. As Betty said in a recent episode, "I had to wait until I was 88 to learn I had game." Paired with blind date Carl Reiner, also 88, the two personified the goal of aging without growing old.

How does she do it?

With the population of older adults growing, the percentage of adults over 65 is projected to grow from the current number of 12% to 19% of Americans in the next twenty years. Given this expected exponential growth, the CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has compiled numerous reports providing the results of current research and suggestions for achieving healthy aging.

If you're looking for some ideas about how to age without getting old, we've got some tips for you this week. Here are three to get you started - using Betty White as your role model:

Cultivate humor in you daily life. Enjoy some belly laughs, even if the joking is aimed at you. Be playful, have fun and do something silly for a change. If you don't have friends with a good sense of humor, watch a comedy movie or TV show, read the newspaper "funnies," get a book of jokes. The more pleasure you bring into your surroundings, the happier you will feel. You may even be increasing your lifespan and improving your health, indicates the National Institute on Aging.

Hang out with your peers. You'll find, like Betty and Carl did, that you have lots of shared memories and can relate to the same music, references and events. Studies show that, even though it's heartwarming to spend time with your adult children and grandchildren, active seniors sometimes prefer relating to others in their own cohort. To meet new friends with similar interests, contact your local university or community center for a schedule of their life-long learning opportunities.

Find the time to interact with younger friends too. You'll enjoy their different perspectives and the challenges they may open up to you. If you share the same interests and hobbies, the fact that you are from different generations is less important than what you can each contribute to one another. When Betty White hosted Saturday Night Live, she had fun, the show registered it's highest ratings in years and it recharged her career.

And for some tips about how to increase you brainpower as you age, especially if you are a Sandwiched Boomer, visit our blog on Vibrant Nation. We've gots lots of good ideas there to help you keep your mind young an active.