You Don’t Have to Decline Mentally, Physically as You Age, Study Says

From the Editor’s Desk

March 11, 2026

For decades, many scientists, doctors and members of the public have believed that ageing inevitably brings physical and mental decline. However, a new study has found that a large share of older adults actually experience improvement in physical or cognitive function over time, and that people who hold more positive beliefs about ageing are more likely to experience such improvement.

The study, conducted by Becca R. Levy of Yale University and Martin D. Slade of Yale School of Medicine, was published in the March 2026 edition of the Geriatrics  journal. The researchers examined a fundamental question about ageing, whether it always means decline or whether older people can actually improve in health over time.

The belief that ageing always means decline runs deep in both science and public thinking. Many scientific tools that measure ageing assume deterioration as the normal direction of change. For example, one widely used assessment system developed by the World Health Organization evaluates whether physical or cognitive abilities worsen with age. It is designed to record only decline, and it contains no category, question or slot that allows improvement to be recorded.

Levy and Slade decided to examine the question differently. They analysed data from one of the largest long-running studies of ageing in the United States, the Health and Retirement Study. This national research project has followed tens of thousands of Americans aged 50 and above for many years. It collects detailed information about their health, behaviour and social life, allowing researchers to observe how people change as they grow older.

From this large dataset, the scientists selected participants who had repeated measurements of two important indicators of health. One was cognitive ability, which includes mental skills such as memory, attention and simple mathematical thinking. The other was physical function, measured through walking speed.

Walking speed may sound like an ordinary measure, but in geriatric medicine it is considered extremely important. Researchers often call it the “sixth vital sign,” alongside temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate and oxygen level. Studies have shown that faster walking speed among older adults predicts lower risk of disability, hospitalisation and death.

To measure cognitive ability, the researchers used a well-established test called the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status, which evaluates memory, recall and other thinking skills.

The researchers then examined whether people’s scores changed between the first measurement and the final measurement years later. They looked specifically for improvement. The results turned out to be remarkable.

About 31.9 percent of participants improved in cognitive function. About 28 percent improved in walking speed. When the researchers combined the two areas, meaning improvement in either mental or physical functioning, they found that 45.15 percent of older adults improved in at least one area during the study period. In other words, nearly half the people studied became mentally sharper, physically stronger or both over time.

In the United States, health planners consider an improvement affecting 11.5 percent of older adults to be a meaningful national health gain. The improvement seen in this study was far higher than that threshold.

The researchers also studied a larger category that included people whose health stayed stable rather than improving. When stability and improvement were counted together, the results became even more striking. About 51 percent maintained or improved their cognitive ability. About 37.6 percent maintained or improved their walking speed.

Another interesting pattern appeared in the data. Only a minority of participants improved in both physical and cognitive function at the same time. Around two-thirds improved in just one of the two areas. This suggests that the body and mind do not necessarily age in the same way or at the same pace, and improvement in one area can occur even if the other does not change.

The second major discovery in the study involves beliefs about ageing.

The researchers measured what they call “age beliefs,” meaning how people think about growing older. Some individuals believe ageing inevitably brings weakness and decline. Others see it as a stage of life that can still include growth, learning and capability.

Participants answered five questions about their attitudes toward ageing. Based on their responses, the researchers classified them as holding either more positive or more negative beliefs about ageing. The results showed a clear pattern. People with more positive age beliefs were significantly more likely to improve in both cognitive and physical functioning. This relationship remained strong even after the researchers accounted for factors such as age, sex, education, depression, sleep problems and chronic diseases.

This pattern fits with a psychological idea known as “stereotype embodiment theory.” According to this theory, beliefs about ageing circulate in society for decades before people themselves become old. Individuals gradually absorb these ideas through media, institutions and everyday social interaction. Later in life those beliefs begin to shape how people see themselves. If someone expects decline as an unavoidable part of ageing, that expectation may influence behaviour, motivation and even biological processes in ways that affect health. Positive beliefs can encourage the opposite pattern by supporting activity, confidence and engagement with life.

The researchers suggest that positive beliefs about ageing may help activate what they describe as “cognitive and physical reserve.” This means the brain and body may contain unused capacity that allows improvement even in later life.

The findings also hold strong relevance for India, where the population is ageing rapidly and old age is widely viewed as a period marked mainly by weakness and dependence. India already has more than 140 million people aged 60 and above, and that number is expected to grow rapidly in the coming decades.

In this context, if large numbers of older adults can maintain or even improve their cognitive and physical abilities, then policies that help older people stay physically active, socially connected and mentally engaged can make a real difference. Programmes that encourage mobility, lifelong learning, social participation and healthy lifestyles could help many older Indians remain active, independent and mentally sharp for longer. As the study concludes, ageing certainly brings challenges, but decline is only one possible path. For many people, later life can also bring resilience, capability and real improvement in health.

You have just read a News Briefing, written by Newsreel Asia’s text editor, Vishal Arora, to cut through the noise and present a single story for the day that matters to you. We encourage you to read the News Briefing each day. Our objective is to help you become not just an informed citizen, but an engaged and responsible one.