"You can't always be 17," Chris Roberts sang in the 70s. At that time, he was not yet aware of the current scientific findings: "Decide for yourself how old you are," as stated in the eponymous bestseller by Professor Sven Voelpel. Of course, this is not about conserving puberty as a perpetual teenager. Instead, as he shared in the Trend Forum at BEAUTY DÜSSELDORF on March 10, 2018, in front of young and old: "It's not about howoldyou get, buthowyou age."
There are people who feel old at 30. Others, on the other hand, could be tearing down trees at 70, activating their inner Pippi Longstocking, and celebrating Astrid Lindgren, who wrote: "There is no ban on old people climbing trees." So when are we "already old" or "still young"?
The number of years we have lived apparently does not determine our real age. But what does real age mean? The number in our passport? Our biological age, which can deviate from the "passport number" up or down? Or is our age genetically determined? Tennis legend Martina Navrátilová, at least, was convinced: "Age happens in the mind, not on the birth certificate."
Everyone wants to grow old, but nobody wants to be old
"Growing old is still the only way to live long," said Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Why then does old age have such a bad reputation? "Although most of life is spent old (especially 'too old for'), people just don't want to be old. 60-year-olds claim to be 60 years young," writes Dr. Manfred Lütz in his book "Lust for Life" and adds: "Old people are considered part of the 'old iron,' a charming, somewhat old-fashioned term for junk." So, aging needs a new image.
"Right," says aging researcher Sven Voelpel, because: "We can decide for ourselves how old we are". Our age is only 30 percent determined by our genes, "the remaining 70 percent can be influenced," says Sven Voelpel. Even small changes in diet, exercise, or sleep can add years to our lives.
Get off the couch
"Anyone who wants to live to a very old age must start early," goes a Spanish saying. For Voelpel, this means: "Out of the comfort zone and off the couch, into the adventure of life," the sooner, the better. And not yearning for youth, but actively looking ahead. Of course, the desire for "eternal youth" is an old phenomenon. But the longer we live, the older we get - evolutionarily speaking: reaching the age of 30 as a hunter-gatherer was almost considered lifeless. Today, someone in their thirties pursuing a third education and experiencing their first spring is no longer a strange exception. Because our statistical midlife point is inexorably shifting forward. For example, at the end of the 19th century, only one in four men and one in three women reached the age of 65, but a little over 100 years later, 75 percent of men and 90 percent of women reach the age of 65 - and can hope to enjoy an average of 15 years (men) to 20 years (women) of retirement.
Active Retirement
By the way, for Sven Voelpel, this means "active retirement." Still far from it, the "Professor in Sneakers" provides numerous tips on how to stay active and incorporate fitness into daily life even in old age. He does pull-ups in the kitchen, handstands on campus, and jogs to the bakery - always in sneakers. Often, a brisk walk, brisk stair climbing, or squats at the bus stop are enough. Depending on how old or young one feels at the moment.
In terms of nutrition, both old and young can ensure individual fitness: Enjoyment yes, gluttony no. In a Japanese village where the oldest person lived, residents eat from very small bowls and stop before feeling full. And of course, the bowls do not contain chips or snacks, but nutrient-rich foods and healthy herbs. Sven Voelpel also grows medicinal herbs in the garden, varying his daily diet with 100 anti-aging herbs (which should actually be called pro-aging herbs!). "This keeps me fit and gives me energy," says the 44-year-old.
"It's never too late" and "Where there's a will, there's a way"
Of course, we always want to get older (and more efficient) and we do, but how we stay young - in feeling, thinking, experiencing - for as long as possible is a different matter. Sure, as soon as we are born, we begin to age - until we die. But above all, we are "born to live" (thanks, Graf Unheilig!). And preferably for a long, healthy, and happy life. It's not the years that make one old, but the lifestyle. And that we can influence, anytime. Sven Voelpel gives tips on what it's never too late for and what is still possible:
- Where there's a will, there's a way: The keyword is self-efficacy. It matters what we believe we can do, not whether others want to convince us that we are too old.
- It's never too late: A positive approach to stress prolongs life. The older we get, the happier we become because we are more emotionally stable.
- Good retirement planning: social contacts, interaction, communication.
- Beautiful living: decorate according to your own wishes and do not live alone
- Look ahead: We must understand old age as a time of possibilities and live it vibrantly.
- Self-determination: What pleases is allowed - even physically
Mindset: How we age and stay young
"Aging is by no means synonymous with physical and mental decay
