ACTIVE AGING
Refresh an Aging Mindset CREATIVE INTENTIONAL PROGRAMMING TO ENHANCE SELF-CONFIDENCE FOR OLDER ADULTS By Janice Hutton HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU HEARD SOMEONE COMMENT ABOUT THEIR AGE AND SAY “OH, I’M TOO OLD FOR THAT” WHEN DESCRIBING AN ACTIVITY OR EXERCISE CHOICE? For many people, their “stop doing” list continues to grow as they age. The “I don’t do it” list might include action sports like snow skiing due to fear of injury. Then there could be the “I shouldn’t do it” list of activities like biking and hiking because there is a fear of falling. Sadly, there is also an “I choose not to do it” list of movements like taking the stairs that reflects a loss of confidence and trust in physical abilities. Remember the “use-it-or-lose-it” principle? Soon a sedentary lifestyle becomes the new normal and health declines faster with less movement. So many people wait to retire to travel only to discover they do not have the physical capacity to enjoy all the experiences of their dreams. It is time for an aging mindset “refresh.” By 2025, there will be over 2.1 billion people worldwide over the age of 60 and many of them think their best years are behind them as they silently suffer from chronic disease, 68 canfitpro September/October 2024
loneliness, depression, and an overall decline of both physical and mental health. According to author and flow expert Steven Kotler, most of us believe in the “long, slow rot theory” of aging instead of embracing the “rock till you drop” approach to life. Interestingly, Kotler discovered that even though physical and mental skills do decline over time, it turns out that most (possibly all) of them are use-it-or-lose-it skills. Even more powerful is the 20 years of data shown in the Ohio Longitudinal Study on Aging and Retirement that a positive mindset toward aging of “I’m excited about the possibilities in the second half of my life – my best days are ahead of me” can add up to eight more years of healthy longevity. Changing your mindset about aging has as much impact on longevity as quitting smoking and more impact than losing weight, even if one is obese. Rebuilding Confidence for Newly Active Older Adults Many inactive older adults have a great deal of fear and lack of confidence in their physical abilities that stop them from becoming more active. Psychologist Albert Badura (1977) created the self-efficacy theory with a four-stage action plan to help professionals rebuild participant confidence for success.