Older women are fighting back against the status quo for a healthier, happier life. For many women, aging has been framed as a tragedy to try to avoid. The beauty industry is forecasted to generate a revenue of USD 646.2 bn this year on the back of the insecurities they manufacture. But as it turns out, the secret to aging well is to look forward to it.

Mind over matter: Studies show that having a positive outlook towards aging decreased chances of dying from any cause by 43% compared to people who have a negative view of aging. In fact, people over 50 who are pessimistic about growing old have higher chances of experiencing a cardiac event or cognitive decline.

Find a passion that takes you places. Writer Caroline Paul followed women aged 60+ who surfed, birdwatched and spent more time outdoors to study their effect on their outlook on aging. The bottom line is that pursuing adventures (no matter how small) made it easy to debunk myths about aging.

Spending time outdoors has been shown to be biologically critical for humans. Nature has inherent healing properties — phytoncides, chemicals released by trees, help strengthen our immune system, the sound of birds chirping has positive effects on our brainwaves, and the patterns we observe in clouds and ocean waves help us relax. Just taking a walk outside has been shown to spike cognitive function. And just 15 to 45 minutes a day is enough to make a difference.

A childlike sense of wonder will improve your quality of life. Trying new things, whether they inspire awe or fear, is important to a healthy body. Inflammatory markers for people being led to experience childlike wonder decreased significantly compared to a control group. They also reported a decrease in anxiety and depression.

You can teach an old dog new tricks. Earlier this year, 99-year-old Betty Brussel broke three swimming world records. In mid-May of this year, Amy Appelhans, aged 55, was the first-ever swimmer to complete a 17-hour, 47.7 km swim from San Francisco to the Farallon Islands.

Brain plasticity is still alive and well even as we age. New brain cells are generated all the time, no matter where we are along our life journeys. Even in the event of faltering cognition, new neural pathways are created to cope. Not only is learning something new possible for older people, but it’s also crucial to having a healthy brain.

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