Do You Feel Younger Than You Are?

Age is just a number:the science of subjective ageIf you’re startled when you look in the mirror, or you find yourself telling people that you feel like you’re still in your 20s when you’re in your 50s, science says you’re not alone. One study found that the average adult over 40 felt 20 percent younger than their chronological age [1]. When we’re kids, we can’t wait to grow up, but once we hit our mid-20s, we shift from feeling older than our chronological age to feeling younger [2]. Subjective aging, or how old you feel, is actually about more than just feeling young at heart; it’s also a “biopsychosocial marker of aging” that’s associated with better physical and mental health, better cognition, decreased risk of hospitalization, and even longevity [3]. Retirees who felt more than 15 years younger reported more satisfaction with leisure time, higher self-esteem, better perceived health, and less boredom than those who felt as old as they were chronologically or had a moderately younger subjective age (1-15 years younger than their actual age) [4]. Are healthier people more likely to feel younger, or could not acting our age actually help us lead a healthier, longer life? Let’s find out. What impacts subjective age? Many factors play a role in assessing how young or old someone feels: Some people look at their physical health, mental performance, and social activities [5], while education, overall health, self-esteem, financial satisfaction, and job satisfaction also play roles [6]. In fact, self-esteem and financial satisfaction were the two most important determinants of younger subjective age in middle-aged men [6]. Interestingly, people who perceived themselves as younger engaged in daily walks, gym sessions, flossing, meditating, self-care activities such as getting pedicures or going to the salon, and getting enough sleep [7]. They also reported taking more vacations, spending time with people younger than them, and visiting with family and friends. On the other hand, people who felt older were less likely to engage in these behaviors. The health benefits of feeling young at heartWhile feeling younger than our actual age is a benefit in and of itself, research also suggests that there are many health-related benefits associated with a younger subjective age: A younger brain: Feeling younger may support your brain health. Research found that older adults who perceived themselves as younger showed greater gray matter volume (which processes information in the brain) in two brain regions responsible for important cognitive processes—the inferior frontal gyrus and the superior temporal gyrus—and exhibited a brain age that was younger than their actual age [8]. Another study found that younger subjective age was associated with improved self-reported well-being and cognitive outcomes, as well as reduced depressive symptoms [9]. Reduced inflammation: Subjective age could also play a role in inflammation. One study found that participants who reported feeling older than their chronological age had higher levels of IL-6 (a pro-inflammatory marker) compared to those who felt younger than their actual age. This association was not explained by other factors that could influence IL-6 levels, such as age, sex, body mass index, or health behaviors [10]. Decreased mortality risk: While perhaps not too surprising, one longitudinal study found that older and middle-aged adults who reported an older subjective age had a twofold higher risk of death than individuals with a younger subjective age [11]. Another study found that there was a 41% greater mortality risk in people who felt older compared to those who felt younger [12]. More stress resilience: Feeling younger than your actual age may also act as a buffer against stress. One study found that individuals with a younger subjective age exhibited a weaker correlation between perceived stress and functional health decline. This stress-busting effect became even more pronounced with increasing age [13]. Therefore, feeling younger (especially in later life) could serve as a buffer against the damaging impact of stress on our functional health.Better sleep: People who felt older reported worse sleep quality than those who felt younger than their age [14]. The results between subjective age and self-assessed sleep quality were statistically significant for women and the middle-aged and older group (ages 50-79). Is there a limit to subjective aging? So if feeling 30 years younger is great, feeling 40 or 50 years younger must be even better, right? Not exactly. Research shows that feeling younger may only be beneficial up to a certain point (at least when it comes to life satisfaction). That’s because a younger subjective age may serve a self-protective purpose, since getting older is often associated with disease and decline; however, at some point, having an extremely young subjective age could be stressful or unrealistic to maintain [15]. However, this same study also discovered a potential subjective age sweet spot: Adults in their 60s reported feeling the most life satisfaction when they felt 25 years younger, and adults in their 90s reported the most life satisfaction when they felt 30 years younger [15]. At Tally Health, we want to give you the knowledge, support, and tools you need to change the way you age at any age. Our personalized Action Plans help you tackle everything from eating healthier and increasing social satisfaction to managing stress so you feel younger—and healthier—for longer. I Want to Age Differently

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