Youth Science

How old you feel has surprisingly strong effects on your physical and mental health, groundbreaking studies show. Here’s how to tap into a mindset that will keep you energised, healthy, and strong.

TEXT MIREL ZAMAN

Age really is just a number. Science is finding that how old you feel may actually predict how long you’ll live, how happy you are, and your general state of health for the next two decades, says Jennifer Bellingtier, a postdoctoral psychology researcher at Friedrich Schiller University in Germany. “That mental state is known as subjective age, and it reflects your perception of how well you’re growing older,” she says. “If you think you’re ageing poorly, you may be less motivated to exercise, eat well, or engage in other healthy behaviours.” Subjective age is incredibly powerful. Studies show that adults who feel younger have fewer signs of brain ageing and better muscular, pulmonary, and metabolic functions compared with those who feel older. Fortunately, perception of age is something you can easily control…

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Shape Singapore (Digital) - 1 Issue, May 2019

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