The seniors of today are not the seniors of yesteryear.
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä found older adults who are 75 and 80 years old today are enjoying more years in middle age, leading to being more physically fit later in life. Today’s seniors are also enjoying even better mental health than 75- and 80-year-olds in 1990.
Not only are people living longer in 2020, but researchers say seniors are in much better shape than their peers 30 years ago.
The study compares 500 people born between 1910 and 1914 to a group of 726 seniors who were the same age in 2017 or 2018. In comparison to 30 years ago, health records of seniors today show major increases in muscle strength, walking speed, reaction speed, verbal fluency, reasoning and working memory. One of the only readings which does not show an improvement is lung function.
Today’s seniors have lived much of their lives in a much different world than 75- to 80-year-olds did decades ago. “There have been many favorable changes. These include better nutrition and hygiene, improvements in health care and the school system, better accessibility to education and improved working life,” said researcher Matti Munukka.
Source: StudyFinds Sept. 22, 2020