Gerontologists Reveal Healthy Menua Secrets, The Main Key To Self Acceptance

Illustration of grandparents (Photo: Freepik/Lifestylemory)

JAKARTA - Being old is a natural process that cannot be avoided, but everyone can choose how they go through the process.

OVER DiGiovanna, MS, a gerontologist with more than 22 years of experience in social services has spent his life accompanying the elderly and their families in the face of various changes that come with age.

From this experience, he concluded that healthy aging is not something that happens by chance, but the result of conscious and impactive life choices.

Reporting from the Eating Well page, DiGiovanna summarizes the secret of living a long and happy life into three main principles referred to as Three A in Healthy Aging', namely Enabling Yourself, Living an Enemployment (Adulting), and Receiving New Reality.

1. Enable Yourself

A healthy age is not only about keeping the body strong, but also keeping social thoughts and relationships alive. According to DiGiovanna, the elderly who are physically and socially active have better quality of life and are happy.

"Socializing and moving doesn't happen on its own. It takes effort," he said.

To maintain health as you age, it is important for a person to continue to activate himself. This can be done by exercising regularly according to the body's ability, continuing to interact with others through community or activity groups, and maintaining curiosity by continuing to learn new things.

These three things help keep the body in shape, the mind sharp, and the heart happy.

Research also supports this. Studies show that the elderly who have an active social life have a lower risk of death than those who are often alone.

2. Undergoing adulthood (Adulting)

Although it sounds simple, many people are delaying important matters related to the future. DiGiovanna revealed that there are still many elderly people who have not prepared important documents such as wills or inheritance letters, medical directions, funeral options or cremations and attorneys for finance if needed.

This not only helps ourselves, but also eases the burden on the family in the future. After completing all these preparations, DiGiovanna said there was a feeling of peace that arose when everything was arranged and would not bother loved ones.

3. Receive New Reality

This is the part that is often the heaviest, namely accepting that the body and human ability will change with age. According to DiGiovanna, many elderly people are actually detrimental to themselves because they are too forced to look young.

"Receiving it doesn't mean giving up. Accepting it means adapting." he said.

Adjusting can be in the form of:

- Choose a safer and more appropriate sport

- Taking more time to rest

- Finding happiness in simple ways

- Keeping the mind open to change

Research shows that elderly people who have the ability to accept and adapt to life changes have a lower risk of death and a happy life.