How to live longer: The one thing super-agers do that could boost your life expectancy

Neurologist Dr Bradford Dickerson, and his research team, have been studying super-agers for several years. From a wealth of data, they’ve discovered one thing they all have in common. What is it?

Testing cognition, one study examined 81 healthy adults – 40 of whom were 60 to 80 years old.

The other 41 participants were aged between 18 to 35. The whole group were read a list containing 16 nouns six times.

Twenty minutes later, the volunteers were asked to recall as many of the words as possible.

The average elderly person could recall nine or fewer words, whereas the super-agers could remember 14 words or more.

The super-agers had a similar score to the younger participants. To investigate this further, they all underwent brain scans.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the researchers had a clearer picture of how the mind worked.

Those who had an average score appeared to have thinner areas of the brain – an indication of brain cell loss.

The super-agers, on the other hand, had thicker parts of the brain associated with emotion, language and stress.

The thicker this part of the brain was, the better the person performed on the memory test.

Dr Dickerson hypothesised that super-agers are more keen to move out of their comfort zone.

When facing a new challenge, “they may approach these tasks as a challenge they can succeed at”, explained Dr Dickerson.

He added that this is “in contrast to typical older adults who may give up”. His fellow researcher, Dr Lisa Barrett, continued this line of thought.

She speculated that super-agers may share a willingness to endure discomfort to master a new skill.

Dr Barrett gave examples, such as learning to play a new musical instrument or to speak a new language.

Super-agers seemingly move out of their comfort zones – often – to gain areas of expertise.

Taking on new challenges in your stride could be the key to boosting your life expectancy.

This could be as varied as learning the salsa dance, assembling flat-pack furniture, learning a computer software programme or writing poetry.

There’s two key things to keep note of when doing something for the first time: patience and perseverance.

It could take months, even years, to become proficient in a new area, but as long as you keep trying, you can get there.

Remaining inside your comfort zone may be comfortable and easy to do, but you won’t be able to uncover new things about yourself.

There are dormant talents and interests waiting to be found, if only you take the first step.

Plus, the more you stretch your capabilities, the longer you’ll have to enjoy your new experiences.

If you’re thinking of breaking out of your comfort zone, comment below on what you’d like to do.

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