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A review by laurieb755
Ageless Aging: A Woman's Guide to Increasing Healthspan, Brainspan, and Lifespan by Maddy Dychtwald, Kate Hanley
2.0
I am likely being too harsh with the 2-star rating so if you are a woman and interested in what you can do to enhance your health span (the number of years you live in good health; lifespan being the number of years you live but not necessarily in good health) this is a good book to give a read, regardless of your current age.
Author Maddy Dychtwald has gathered in one place all the considerations (with accompanying checklists) to think about when it comes to your own "ageless aging," what she explains as minimizing "the negative effects of the passage of time and choose to not let your chronological age and the stereotypes around aging limit you or the choices you make." Ideally, "you maximize the upsides of longevity while minimizing or even avoiding many of the downsides that we've come to accept as inevitable" such as memory, mobility, health and joy.
To see where you are in the ageless aging spectrum Dychtwald offers a self-assessment. Pages 27-29 contains a two-column checklist, in one column are items considered Age Accelerants and in the other Age Decelerants. The first pass is to places checks in each column next to each entry that holds true for you. Step two is to add up the number of checks in each column, and the final step is to start small and see what you can change, with the eventual goal of having no Age Accelerants.
When defining aging there are three aspects to consider. The one we all know and that gets celebrated from year to year is chronological aging. It’s simple addition, each year we are one year older. As we age and grow we mature, and that growing and developing is psychological aging. The third aspect is physical (also called biological) aging. It is how our bodies change as we age. An interesting consideration is that biological age is not always the same as chronological age. Biological age can be impacted by the foods you eat, the type and amount of exercise in which you engage, whether or not you’ve ever smoked, and any other lifestyle choices you made.
Another aspect that can impact aging is how you view the process of aging. Suffice it to say, a more positive view of aging will impact your overall aging in a positive manner. To borrow from page 17, “…a short online quiz that’s helpful in revealing your thoughts on older people” can be taken here “to assess how positive or negative your views of aging are compared to other people who have taken the quiz.”
In each chapter Maddy provides ‘hacks’ that you can try, actions you can take to gradually impact your aging experience. She explains that small steps are the way to begin effecting change. To that end she provides guidance in multiple areas: fitness, food, sleep, navigating the healthcare system, use (or not) of hormones, cognitive health, finding purpose, and finances. Sprinkled throughout the book are anecdotes of other women who identified an issue in their aging process and then took steps to make changes.
So WHY did I rate this book a mere 2 stars, particularly when most of the information is helpful and sensible? Well, it is - for me - an okay book and that is what 2 stars represents. Nonetheless, reread my first paragraph if you are uncertain if this book is for you.
Author Maddy Dychtwald has gathered in one place all the considerations (with accompanying checklists) to think about when it comes to your own "ageless aging," what she explains as minimizing "the negative effects of the passage of time and choose to not let your chronological age and the stereotypes around aging limit you or the choices you make." Ideally, "you maximize the upsides of longevity while minimizing or even avoiding many of the downsides that we've come to accept as inevitable" such as memory, mobility, health and joy.
To see where you are in the ageless aging spectrum Dychtwald offers a self-assessment. Pages 27-29 contains a two-column checklist, in one column are items considered Age Accelerants and in the other Age Decelerants. The first pass is to places checks in each column next to each entry that holds true for you. Step two is to add up the number of checks in each column, and the final step is to start small and see what you can change, with the eventual goal of having no Age Accelerants.
When defining aging there are three aspects to consider. The one we all know and that gets celebrated from year to year is chronological aging. It’s simple addition, each year we are one year older. As we age and grow we mature, and that growing and developing is psychological aging. The third aspect is physical (also called biological) aging. It is how our bodies change as we age. An interesting consideration is that biological age is not always the same as chronological age. Biological age can be impacted by the foods you eat, the type and amount of exercise in which you engage, whether or not you’ve ever smoked, and any other lifestyle choices you made.
Another aspect that can impact aging is how you view the process of aging. Suffice it to say, a more positive view of aging will impact your overall aging in a positive manner. To borrow from page 17, “…a short online quiz that’s helpful in revealing your thoughts on older people” can be taken here “to assess how positive or negative your views of aging are compared to other people who have taken the quiz.”
In each chapter Maddy provides ‘hacks’ that you can try, actions you can take to gradually impact your aging experience. She explains that small steps are the way to begin effecting change. To that end she provides guidance in multiple areas: fitness, food, sleep, navigating the healthcare system, use (or not) of hormones, cognitive health, finding purpose, and finances. Sprinkled throughout the book are anecdotes of other women who identified an issue in their aging process and then took steps to make changes.
So WHY did I rate this book a mere 2 stars, particularly when most of the information is helpful and sensible? Well, it is - for me - an okay book and that is what 2 stars represents. Nonetheless, reread my first paragraph if you are uncertain if this book is for you.