Getting Better with Age

People 65 and older can get better with age, study shows

March 25, 2026

Summary

Researchers found that nearly half of adults over 65 did better on tests of cognitive and physical function as they aged.

When Diana Nyad was 64 years old, she swam 110 miles from Cuba to Florida, becoming the first person to do so without a shark cage. It was her fifth attempt over the course of 3½ decades.

“I said when I did that swim, which was 12 years ago, that that was the prime of my life,” Nyad said. She felt in better shape physically and mentally than she ever had before. “And honestly, at 76, I’m even better now than I was then.”

Nyad is one of many examples of older people accomplishing things their younger selves could only dream of. Researchers wanted to understand whether such cases are exceptions or reflect a broader pattern.

Study Findings

This question motivated a study published in the journal Geriatrics.

Becca Levy, professor of epidemiology and psychology at Yale School of Public Health, and Martin Slade analyzed data from the Health and Retirement Study, which followed several thousand participants over time.

Participants were assessed on:

• Cognitive health
• Walking speed (a proxy for physical fitness)
• Attitudes toward aging

Over a period of up to 12 years, the researchers found:

• Nearly half of participants over 65 improved physically, cognitively, or both
• Positive beliefs about aging significantly increased the likelihood of improvement

Levy noted that these findings challenge the dominant belief that aging is a universal decline.

Louise Aronson, geriatrician and professor emeritus at UCSF, emphasized that aging is not a one-way process:

“Maybe you don’t lift as much weight as you did 40 years ago. But maybe you’re lifting twice as much as you did one year ago.”

Aging Does Not Mean Decline

Negative stereotypes about aging remain widespread.

A 2024 global survey found:

• 65% of healthcare workers
• 80% of the general population

incorrectly believed that dementia is a normal part of aging.

Mark Lachs, co-chief of geriatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine, noted:

“The vast majority of older people don’t have any cognitive impairment. The vast majority do not require assistance.”

Research increasingly shows that with age:

• Judgment improves
• Wisdom increases
• Emotional intelligence grows
• Happiness often increases

Why Attitude Toward Aging Matters

Lachs observed that thriving older individuals tend to share a common factor:

A strong sense of purpose.

Examples include:

• Family (e.g., grandchildren)
• Volunteering
• Travel
• Hobbies
• Civic engagement

Attitude toward aging creates reinforcing feedback loops:

Positive Cycle

• Positive beliefs about aging
• Increased motivation for self-care
• More physical activity and social engagement
• Improved health and mood
• Reinforcement of positive beliefs

Negative Cycle

• Negative beliefs about aging
• Reduced effort toward health and engagement
• Increased isolation and inactivity
• Declining health
• Reinforcement of negative beliefs

Lachs described this as a “snowball effect.”

He also emphasized:

“Positivity about aging is not a drug or surgery. It’s an attitudinal adjustment, but it can be as powerful as many treatments.”

How to Improve Attitudes Toward Aging

Researchers suggest several interventions:

1. Intergenerational Interaction

Increased interaction between age groups helps:

• Reduce age-based stereotypes
• Improve team performance
• Combine experience with creativity

Paul Irving (Milken Institute) noted:

“There is an opportunity to capitalize on the experience, wisdom, and judgment of older people, and the creativity and risk-taking of younger people.”

2. ABC Method (Becca Levy)

A structured approach to changing beliefs about aging:

• A – Awareness

 Recognize negative cultural messaging about aging

• B – Blame

 Attribute challenges to ageism, not aging itself

• C – Challenge

 Actively question and reject negative assumptions

3. Reframing Aging

Recognize that:

• Every life stage has tradeoffs
• Aging is a privilege
• Improvement remains possible

Key Insight

Aging is not a deterministic decline. It is a dynamic process influenced by:

• Mindset
• Behavior
• Social environment

Improvement in later life is common, not exceptional.

Conclusion

The central message:

Do not assume decline. Improvement remains possible throughout life.

Life can continue to get better with age, especially when individuals:

• Maintain positive beliefs
• Stay physically active
• Engage socially
• Cultivate purpose