Positive aging outlook boosts memory and walking speed in older adults

Prof Velandai Srikanth is a geriatrician and the director of the National Centre for Healthy Ageing. By most professional standards, he is at the peak of his career, with decades of research published in leading scientific journals and funding from major global bodies. Yet, upon turning 60, he encountered a sudden shift in perception. Somebody said ‘so when are you going to retire?’

For Srikanth, the comment was a shock—a realization that the stigma of aging had arrived. In his clinical practice, he sees a spectrum of responses to the so-called third age, ranging from those who view it as an inevitable slide into decrepitude to those who approach it with excitement. As it turns out, these attitudes are not just psychological comforts; they may be biological drivers.

The physical cost of negative expectations

The link between a person’s mental model of aging and their physical health is becoming increasingly clear. According to research conducted by Prof Becca Levy and Dr Martin Slade of the Yale School of Public Health, attitudes toward aging have a direct impact on physical and cognitive changes over time. In a study involving more than 11,000 people between the ages of 50 and 99, researchers found that those with positive attitudes performed better in memory tests, mathematics, and walking speed.

The findings suggest that a positive outlook is associated with measurable gains; in fact, a significant number of participants actually improved their metrics over time. While the specific experimental design of the Yale study is not detailed in available reporting, the results showed that 44% of participants improved their cognition and walking speed over an average eight-year follow-up. Crucially, those who entered the study with positive views of aging were more likely to see these gains.

This correlation is echoed in data from TILDA, the Trinity College tracking survey on aging. Prof Ian Robertson, a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist at Trinity College Dublin, noted that the data revealed a stark contrast in mobility. According to the Irish Independent, the survey found that people who had negative expectations on ageing walked significantly slower two years later compared to those with a positive outlook.

For more on this story, see How Optimism Protects Against Dementia and Boosts Longevity.

Distinguishing between aging and disease

A central tension in the psychology of aging is the tendency to conflate the natural process of growing older with the onset of pathology. Prof Robertson emphasizes that this distinction is critical for maintaining cognitive health.

“We must not confuse disease with age. It is not a disease,” Prof Ian Robertson, Prof Emeritus of Psychology in Trinity College

When older adults view a lapse in memory—such as forgetting a name—as an early sign of dementia, they internalize a narrative of decline. In contrast, a person in their 30s experiencing the same lapse typically brushes it off. Researchers have noted that individuals with negative expectations of aging often show a reduction in cognitive flexibility and a decrease in social activity, factors that correlate with the decline they fear.

The notion that cognitive decline is an inevitable part of the calendar is, according to Robertson, highly inaccurate and out of date. He points to research from the International Monetary Fund covering 41 countries, which suggests a shift in the baseline of cognitive performance. The data indicates that the cognitive performance of a 70-year-old in 2020 was equivalent to that of a 53-year-old in 2000. This shift supports the provocative claim that 70 is the new 50.

The role of effort and purpose in cognitive preservation

If the mindset is the foundation, the active pursuit of purpose is the scaffolding. Prof Robertson identifies two primary drivers in managing the aging process: effort and purpose. He warns against the seduction of a passive retirement, suggesting that the cultural norm of early retirement in countries like Italy or France may actually be detrimental to brain health.

Robertson notes that retirees in Italy may spend their days playing boules and sitting happily with their coffees in the piazza, yet their memory function can be significantly lower than that of 65-year-olds in Florida, Ireland, or the UK. The conclusion is that losing the cognitive demands of work or active engagement leads to a loss of function.

To counter this, researchers emphasize the importance of staying active and engaged with the surrounding environment to maintain mental acuity. This does not necessarily require a traditional career, but it does require active engagement with the world.

• Sorting out a community committee.
• Finding ways to help others.
• Engaging in social roles that require active problem-solving.

The psychological barrier to this activity is often the internalized belief that one is becoming useless. In the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale used by researchers, participants are asked to rate their agreement with statements such as The older I get, the more useless I feel versus I am as happy now as I was when I was younger. This scale allows researchers to quantify how an individual’s internal narrative regarding their own utility and happiness correlates with their overall well-being as they age.

Ultimately, the challenge is to resist the gravitational pull of societal expectations. As Prof Robertson warns, the risk of cognitive stagnation is high once a person stops striving.