Superagers intrigue scientists. Why do some people not only live longer than usual but stay mentally sharper as well?
A superager, by definition, is someone who is 80 or older who as cognitive functions as good as a typical middle-ager.
You can spot these people easily by the way they present themselves. Put them among a group of elderly peers, and they will be the ones who can memorize new information, keep up in conversation, and adjust to a changing world.
Taking a deeper look beneath the skull, superagers’ brains usually show less shrinkage compared to their age peers.
The difference is significant. Everyone’s brain shrinks as they get older. The average loss is 2.24% in brain volume per year. But superagers only lose about 1% a year. That partially explains why they maintain their mental faculties better than most.
So how do you keep a big brain and stay mentally sharp like superagers?
Researchers at Northwestern University and Harvard Medical School have been studying what superagers do that is different from their neighbors. It seems that certain traits come up again and again that suggest behavior may play a role beyond fortunate genetics.
Challenge Yourself
Northwestern scientists noticed that the superagers they studied kept taking on challenging mental tasks.
There’s a caveat here. A few years ago, news stories told us that we could do puzzles and crosswords to stay mentally alert. That turned out to be naïve and misleading advice.
The cue is in the word “challenge.” As anyone who has done crossword for several years knows, they become easier over time. That’s why tasks such as learning a new language, taking a class on something you haven’t studied before, or learning a new instrument are especially good for keeping your brain running smoothly for longer. Improving at music, for instance, never gets easier. You may struggle to learn a technique or new chords today, but weeks later that will be easy material and there will be another challenge to meet.
See Your Friends—A Lot
Superagers also like a party—or at least stay in touch with plenty of friends and family. They have strong social networks.
This habit appears to ward off brain shrinkage. In autopsies, superagers showed four or five times as many von Economo neurons (VENs) than non-superager octogenarians.
VENs are also called spindle neurons, and scientists are paying more attention to them in the past few years. They are quite special—only a few animals have them. These include humans, great apes, elephants, and whales. Scientists think they may be responsible for faster reaction times and information processing in large brains. When they are damaged, they can lead to a variety of language and cognitive disorders. And when they remain abundant, evidently they help superagers stay sharp.
Get Moving
Superagers also tend to have active lives and to exercise regularly.
Harvard Medical School research discovered that superagers take exercise seriously. They worked out at a high intensity for 20 to 45 minutes a day. As a result, these super-agers had 30% greater aerobic capacity than their non-active peers, which put them on par with adults 30 years younger. Increased aerobic capacity is linked with reduced risk for heart disease, better memory, and a longer life.
Take some of that exercise outside. Spending time in nature on a regular basis improves brain function and happiness.
Indulge A Little
A fourth habit superagers have in common could be called moderate indulgence. Though they exercised, most are not extreme athletes. And they were likely to have a bit of wine or other alcohol without going overboard.
Superagers practice moderation to enjoy each day’s pleasures rather than making a point of abstinence.
Live Now, Look Forward
Harvard Health has suggested that an “age-agnostic” mindset improves the likelihood of aging well. Superagers simply do not treat their age—or the notion that they have few years left to enjoy—as a deterrent. While a friend may say, “why study statistics or learn German at my age?” a superager just forges ahead and pursues such things because they are interesting. Age be damned. A great example of this is Shigemi Hirata who graduated from Kyoto University of Art and Design at age 96.
Practice Positive Stubbornness
Superagers also embrace the knack for dealing with frustration by staying on task. Superagers are willing to try something hard, as mentioned earlier. But more important, they are willing to meet failure, and then try again. And again.
Frustration, it seems is a good sign that you are working your brain hard enough to keep it healthy.