Once an avant-garde punk rocker in London, then a commercial architectural photographer, and later a pediatric nurse. Bea Coll lived a lot of life before retiring to Asheville, North Carolina where she now focuses on her art, quantum physics, and becoming a death doula.

A healthy lifestyle can take you only so far. Research shows that eating right, exercising often, and otherwise adopting healthy habits can extend the lifespan—to about 80, or even 90 years of age. After that, genetics are likely the most significant factor. Do you have any centenarians in your family? Read the NYT article to find out more about longevity influences.

Elderspeak–talking in a condescending or other demeaning manner to older adults–is one of the many prevalent ways ageism is manifested. And sometimes it happens well before senior citizenship. As NPR notes, pushing back against ageist comments in all forms, including those directed internally, is one key to a longer, healthier life. 

While the music industry may skew young, there’s one sector of the profession that’s a surprising exception. Many of the industry’s most valued roadies, including equipment and sound technicians, are well into their golden years (despite the long hours and physical demands.) Read about how some of music’s most legendary artists depend on these experienced employees to keep them rocking and rolling all night.

In addition to serving your community, new research found that volunteering can serve you, as well! Even giving your time for just one hour a week can contribute to a longer, healthier life. Experts noted that volunteering supports physical, social, and psychological benefits, resulting in a positive impact on biological aging. Follow the link below to Health.com to read more about the benefits of helping others.

In a word: Yes! It turns out driving a taxi can tax your brain—but in a good way. Recent research found that U.S. taxi (and ambulance) drivers had the lowest incidence of death due to Alzheimer’s disease among the more than 400 occupations included in the study. Researchers attributed this to drivers’ use of complex cognitive skills to navigate trips (most participants worked prior to today’s ubiquitous reliance on GPS). Whether solving spatial challenges, or engaging in other decision-based activities such as chess, stimulating your brain can be key to brain health.

Follow the link below to The Wall Street Journal to learn more.

More than a third of the awards given out at the Golden Globes on Sunday, January 5, went to individuals over the age of 50.

The oldest to bring home an award: Jean Smart, 73, known as the sassy and savvy Deborah Vance in Hacks, won for Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy.
Demi Moore, 62, who spoke of the double challenge of aging as female, won for Best Actress, Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, for her role in The Substance. In her acceptance speech, Moore talked of having been “doing this” for more than 45 years without winning anything. She also talked about a producer telling her 30 years ago that she was “a popcorn actress,” a comment that she says corroded her over time, leading to a crisis in confidence that nearly convinced her to put herself out to pasture a few years ago. Until a certain script found her. Follow the link below to hear her acceptance speech.

Former President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29th, was 100 years old–a milestone age not achieved by just anyone. To look at the lynchpins of his long and active life, Fortune spotlights Carter’s three strategies for longevity. Read on to see how fitness, love, and community factored in.

Might we take a different route if we knew we’d live to be 100? According to the Pew Research Center, nearly half a million Americans are expected to live to at least 100 years of age by 2050—that’s quadruple the current number of centenarians. Laura Carstensen, founder of Stanford University’s Center on Longevity, suggests we need to rethink our traditional pathways to optimize this new-found longevity. For example, she suggests making childhood longer, or working less while rearing children and more later in life instead of retiring. Read on for more innovative ideas. 

Meet Hilda Jaffe, 102, who defies age and is the veritable embodiment of a ‘superager.’ As the Washington Post reports, at age 88, Jaffe decided to turn the page and start a new chapter, selling her home in New Jersey and moving to Manhattan, taking up residence in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. More than a decade later, she is still actively enjoying the easy walks to grocery stores, seeing opera, and living independently in the city that never sleeps. According to Sofiya Milman, director of human longevity studies at the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, superagers typically have a very positive outlook on life, with built-in resilience. Read on to learn more about Jaffe’s approach to life and what studies of other superagers reveal.

According to a study by VITAS Healthcare, only 22% of the U.S. population has an end-of-life plan in place. While American culture treats death as a taboo subject, it’s an inevitability for all of us. Discussing and documenting decisions around dying can strengthen familial relationships, and is a gift to loved ones. Read about how to take the first steps in initiating this important talk.

Andrea, 82, met Angelo, 16, through the nonprofit, Dorot, a Hebrew word meaning “generations.” Both cite the benefits of their intergenerational friendship, with Angelo, noting, “You get to…even learn from their experiences and get really great advice.” More organizations are connecting teens and elders as a way to address the loneliness epidemic, an ongoing trend exacerbated by the pandemic.

Attendees at the annual Gerontological Society of America (GSA) conference took a deep dive into how words can propagate ageism and bolster negative stereotypes of older adults. Actions included analyzing 62 million social media posts on the platform X for ageist terminology, and examining how older characters are described in children’s books. One notable, concrete effort was petitioning two of the world’s most respected dictionaries—Oxford English Dictionary and Merriam Webster—to update their definitions of ageism to encompass a broader description of who is impacted. Results TBD.

In a recent survey by the New York Times, more than 3,100 participants shared how their form of self care has evolved as they’ve aged. Focusing on six older Americans and their lifestyles, the Times delves into how aging impacts individual views on aging and staying vibrant.

Think senior centers are all about bingo, bland food, and boring TV? Well, think again. Galvanized by a demographic evolution—specifically, a large swath of adults living longer, more active lives, today’s senior centers are dropping the word “senior” from their names, and offering pickleball, tech labs, speed dating, and more.

A recent study of adults aged 56 to 74 by the Mayo Clinic finds that being able to balance on one leg is linked with aging well. As older adults age, balance, muscle strength and gait change over time. But maintaining balance is key because it requires all body systems working together, along with muscle strength.