A retired estate agent who helps children to learn how to read. A housewife and mother of five grown-up children - and grandmother of eight - who travels the countryside with her oil paints and easel, capturing nature in all seasons. A retired engineer, always fascinated by the dream of self-sufficient living, who heats his house with wood all winter - and chops every long himself.
Life is perpetually busy no matter what your age, where you live or how well off your are. But the truth is, as careers reach their later stages, as children mature and as home-improvement ambitions are fulfilled, time usually does become more available for adults moving through their 50, 60s and beyond.
With this time come choices. The easy one is merely to relax: to watch more TV, eat out more often, talk on the phone as much as you want. The better choice, not only for your happiness but also for your health, is to discover something more meaningful to devote yourself to and follow it wholeheartedly. Why? Because pursuing your interests - whether it's joining a book group, building hiking trails or doing the things mentioned above - is more than just a pleasant pastime. A growing body of scientific research shows that doing something that interests you offers mind-body benefits in your 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond.
Do what you love People who maintain hobbies and interests in their later lives suffer less stress and depression, have better moods, improved immune system function and possibly a lower risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. They may even live longer. And this conculsion is coming in from research all around the world.
According to a study at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, men with no hobbies have higher levels of illness and take more sick leave than their more involved counterparts.
It also have been shown that mortality risks are significantly higher in urban men who don't participate in hobbies, club activities or community groups, according to a study of more than 3,000 men by researchers at Gunma University School of Medicine in Maebashi, Japan.
And in Canada, researchers from the University of Manitoba have shown that higher overall activity levels in older people promote happiness, improve functioning and lower mortality rates. What's more, while the social and productive activities tend to produce physical benefits in terms of health and longevity, the more solitary pursuits, such as handiwork hobbies or a love of reading, bring more psychological benefits in providing a sense of engagement with life.
the key Action
Make sure you do something every single day that improves you or the world.
... whether it's baking cakes, reading a novel or playing a game with family or friends
Even in centenarians, and among those with disabilities, 'maintenance of social relationships is of major importance for survival', according to a study from the University of Rome 'La Sapienza'.
Absorb yourself completely The people who think they are ageing well aren't necessairly the healthiest individuals. One factor that emerges from many studies is that older people's sense of what it means to be 'ageing well' does not necessairly match traditional measures of good health an freedom from disability.
In fact, optimisim and effective coping styles were found to be more important to successful ageing than traditional measures of health and wellness. Self-perception about ageing can be more important than the traditional success markers.
That means getting involved, feeling the sense of flow that comes when you're absorbed in something - whether it's baking cakes, reading a novel or playing a game with family or friends. In many studies, for example, people who found time every day for hobbies, reading and friends ranked their satisfication with the ageing process higher than those who were isolated and had fewer interests.
The extra benefit of pursuing your interests: by cutting stress, it can lower your blood pressure and tame stress hormones that can wreak havoc with your blood sugar - thereby cutting your odds of having heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes or diabetes. Not bad for an afternoon at the bridge table.
great advice For a complete understanding of the roles active living and personal engagement play in physical health, turn to the 'Live to feel good'
Life is perpetually busy no matter what your age, where you live or how well off your are. But the truth is, as careers reach their later stages, as children mature and as home-improvement ambitions are fulfilled, time usually does become more available for adults moving through their 50, 60s and beyond.
With this time come choices. The easy one is merely to relax: to watch more TV, eat out more often, talk on the phone as much as you want. The better choice, not only for your happiness but also for your health, is to discover something more meaningful to devote yourself to and follow it wholeheartedly. Why? Because pursuing your interests - whether it's joining a book group, building hiking trails or doing the things mentioned above - is more than just a pleasant pastime. A growing body of scientific research shows that doing something that interests you offers mind-body benefits in your 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond.
Do what you love People who maintain hobbies and interests in their later lives suffer less stress and depression, have better moods, improved immune system function and possibly a lower risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. They may even live longer. And this conculsion is coming in from research all around the world.
According to a study at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, men with no hobbies have higher levels of illness and take more sick leave than their more involved counterparts.
It also have been shown that mortality risks are significantly higher in urban men who don't participate in hobbies, club activities or community groups, according to a study of more than 3,000 men by researchers at Gunma University School of Medicine in Maebashi, Japan.
And in Canada, researchers from the University of Manitoba have shown that higher overall activity levels in older people promote happiness, improve functioning and lower mortality rates. What's more, while the social and productive activities tend to produce physical benefits in terms of health and longevity, the more solitary pursuits, such as handiwork hobbies or a love of reading, bring more psychological benefits in providing a sense of engagement with life.
the key Action
Make sure you do something every single day that improves you or the world.
... whether it's baking cakes, reading a novel or playing a game with family or friends
Even in centenarians, and among those with disabilities, 'maintenance of social relationships is of major importance for survival', according to a study from the University of Rome 'La Sapienza'.
Absorb yourself completely The people who think they are ageing well aren't necessairly the healthiest individuals. One factor that emerges from many studies is that older people's sense of what it means to be 'ageing well' does not necessairly match traditional measures of good health an freedom from disability.
In fact, optimisim and effective coping styles were found to be more important to successful ageing than traditional measures of health and wellness. Self-perception about ageing can be more important than the traditional success markers.
That means getting involved, feeling the sense of flow that comes when you're absorbed in something - whether it's baking cakes, reading a novel or playing a game with family or friends. In many studies, for example, people who found time every day for hobbies, reading and friends ranked their satisfication with the ageing process higher than those who were isolated and had fewer interests.
The extra benefit of pursuing your interests: by cutting stress, it can lower your blood pressure and tame stress hormones that can wreak havoc with your blood sugar - thereby cutting your odds of having heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes or diabetes. Not bad for an afternoon at the bridge table.
great advice For a complete understanding of the roles active living and personal engagement play in physical health, turn to the 'Live to feel good'
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