It's a Good Time To Be Aging
There's no doubt that Baby Boomers face significant retirement challenges--the recent market meltdown, inadequate financial resources for most older workers, the decline of traditional retirement plans, and stress on Social Security and Medicare, to name just a few. In spite of these challenges, I still believe it's a good time to be aging.
There's plenty of scientific and medical research that shows us what we can do to improve our health and live to a ripe old age. Many long-term studies have been completed in recent years that demonstrate the significant health benefits of exercise, proper nutrition, and a robust social life. And there are plenty of well-written books out there that explain the research. Here are my favorites:
- Healthy at 100, by John Robbins
- Ten Years Younger, by Dr. Stephen Masley
- The Mature Mind: The Positive Power of the Aging Brain, by Dr. Gene Cohen
- Take a Load Off Your Heart and The Road to a Healthy Heart Leads Through the Kitchen, by Joe Piscatella
- Discover Wellness: How Staying Healthy Can Make You Rich, by Dr. Bob Hoffman
In addition, social research has shown what makes us happy and gives us meaning, particularly in our later years. These findings are explained in such popular books as:
- Aging Well, by George Vaillant
- Successful Aging, by John Rowe and Robert Kahn
- Authentic Happiness, by Martin Seligman.
And all of these resources are at our fingertips because of the Internet. None of the above resources were available to our parents' generation, so we've got a tremendous head start. It's just up to us to make the best of what we've got. What are you waiting for?
