Move like Jagger if you want a happy old age
What’s the secret to a long and happy life? Well, we could do worse than ask sir Mick Jagger.
this week, he announced that he was postponing the Rolling stones U.s. tour — due to start this month — because of a health problem identified during a pre-tour medical.
twitter erupted with all manner of hysterical gossip about the cause; some had him on his death bed.
But it turned out to be a leaky heart valve in need of replacement. a not uncommon problem in men of Jagger’s vintage, and he’s now recovering after surgery in New York.
No doubt, as he has made clear, he’ll soon be back on the road — and that’s what I find so interesting. here is a man who has had a long and hugely successful career and can boast an assured legacy; he’s got a knighthood, countless millions in the bank, and a large, close family, including a son of just two years old.
Wouldn’t you expect him to enjoy a long convalescence? Of course not. Moss isn’t allowed to grow on this particular stone.
We’ve also read this week about his fanatical commitment to fitness. Jagger follows a rigorous exercise regime that includes cycling, running, yoga — and ballet.
at 75, he’s more active than most 20 and 30 somethings of my acquaintance. he’s not collapsed on a sofa in front of the tV. he has a job he loves, an outlet for his creativity — and life, according to the Jagger credo, is for living to the max. Well into his eighth decade, he has no intention of letting up.
I’ve come across many individuals like Jagger over the years. Not rock stars, of course, but ordinary people who share a love of life and people that appears to be the secret of their longevity.
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work well past retirement, and when they stop, they find other things to do to keep their minds and bodies active.
Many people view retirement as a reward for decades of tireless slog — but the reality often disappoints. suddenly, without work, people face a loss of structure to their day and they struggle to find an adequate replacement. For many, whether they acknowledge it or not, their work is closely bound up in their sense of identity. and stopping work is associated with a profound existential crisis about who they really are — a crisis that many people never seem to resolve.
they view their life as lacking in purpose and this can have a significant impact on their mental health. We know that rates of depression among retirees increase by 40 per cent compared with the general population.
a major British study published last year found that short-term memory declined nearly 40 per cent faster once civil servants retired. high-ranking civil servants with the most mentally demanding jobs saw brain capacity plummet once they quit.
and because mental health is inextricably linked to physical health, so the risks of illness and di disease increases. a 2015 harvard school of Public health study of 5,000 people found that those who had retired were 40 per cent more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than those still working.
Of course, most of us will have to quit our workplaces at some point. the key to protecting yourself then, psychologists say, is to forge new social networks.
Without the steady stimulation of other people, we become isolated and introspective. Ensuring that you get out of the house, embark on new interests and meet and interact with people on a daily basis are all vital in protecting us from the negative effects of retirement.
so Mick Jagger’s work ethic, fitness regime, determination to enjoy life and stay relevant — and go kicking, screaming and hipswivelling into ‘that good night’ — are a lesson for us all.