By Julie E 
Photo Credit ( Pixabay )
According to Gen Z, you officially reach old age at the age of 57; therefore, in the eyes of the younger generation, Gordon Ramsay, Salma Hayek, and Mike Tyson are elderly.
In the park, an elderly guy stretches
According to a survey of 2,000 persons, people under the age of 27 believe that old age strikes in their late 50s and that retirement mostly consists of “pottering” (16%) and lounging in an armchair (20%).
But according to the Boomers, two-thirds of them feel younger than they actually are, and many believe that 60 is the new 40.
One in five Boomers, who are between the ages of 60 and 78, feel up to 20 years younger than they actually are, and one in five (18%) say they’re having a great time.
Compared to young adults and Millennial workers, boomers are the most active group, usually spending four more hours outside after work.
Additionally, they are more likely to love travelling and discovering new places, and they are also more likely to exercise (56%) than those aged 18 to 27, who were less likely (39%) to do so.
“Many elderly people are more active than their younger friends and family members, and they refuse to accept that joint pain is a reality.”
Wellsoon representative
It also revealed that while 68% of Boomers thought of themselves as active, 37% felt that their health issues and chronic joint pain prevented them from doing as much as they would like to.
“Older generations are extremely active, and many older people are more active than some of their younger friends and family members—with nearly half of younger people saying being too busy with work and too tired held them back from being more active,” stated a spokesperson for Wellsoon at Practice Plus Group, which commissioned the study.
“Older individuals are making the most of their retirement and have reached a point in their lives when they value their bodies and health and are at ease with who they are. Those who were 79 years of age and older enjoyed having fun with friends the most out of all the generations.
“They will view joint pain as a challenge to be overcome so they can enjoy many more happy and active years; they will not accept that it is something you have to put up with just because you are ‘old.'”
Among Boomers, 25% of respondents thought that “ageing” meant losing the health that comes with being younger.
However, 22% of Millennials believed that it meant losing your appearance and changing it.
But according to OnePoll statistics, there is a lot of hope because celebrities over 60, like Helen Mirren, Judi Dench, and George Clooney, are the biggest role models for all age groups when it comes to staying active and ageing healthily.
One of the most inspirational figures for the Boomer and Silent generations is globetrotter Michael Palin, who turns 81 this week.
Boomers reported that they only learnt to value their bodies when they were 38 years old, with 80% of them feeling thankful for their physical health.
“We’ve always known that people coming to us for hip and knee replacements and hernia repair aren’t doing so to get back to their armchairs; they want to go dancing, cycling, hiking, swimming on vacation, and running around in the park with their grandchildren,” a Wellsoon representative for Practice Plus Group continued.
Linda, a patient undergoing knee replacement
Linda is running.
Despite undergoing a total knee replacement last year, Linda, 74, of Chard, Somerset, just finished her 117th 5km Park Run experience.
After surgery, I was terrified that I would never be able to run again, she added. Linda, a retired teacher from Chard School, says, “I thought my running days might be over before my operation.”
She returned gradually with the help of her hospital team, attending weekly weight-training and fitness sessions to build muscle and riding an electric bike to increase her level of fitness.
Last Christmas, Linda returned to her favourite Park Run in Taunton with her daughter and son-in-law after doing short runs around her neighbourhood.
“I feel like I’ve been given a fresh start and a gift. I’ve always stated that I want to be running when I’m eighty years old. I love the atmosphere of the parkrun and competing against myself, and I regularly run a 5K.
“I’ll get there, but I’m probably ten minutes slower than I was before my operation. I can now do everything I love and have recently picked up golf again. I feel like I have a new lease on life!