What Does it Mean to be Wellderly?

Striving for a happy and healthy life should be a priority for everyone especially as we continue to age. Becoming “wellderly” has become a new term to define this lifestyle. 

According to Scripps, “wellderly” is defined as healthy elderly people over the age of 80 who have no serious chronic medical conditions. These medical conditions include: cancer, stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and heart attack with the exception of arthritis.

The Wellderly study began in 2007 by Scripps Translational Science Institute to research the genetic secrets behind longevity of life. This ongoing study has enrolled more than 1,400 people ranging from 80-105 years of age.

Research showed the Wellderly group carried rare genetic variants that protected them from cognitive decline, including the variant linked to Alzheimer’s, and a lower risk for coronary artery disease.

Being Wellderly isn’t just a medical term, it has become a way of life. Having a positive outlook on aging and living a healthy lifestyle will not only benefit you now but in years to come. Compared to others in their age group, the Wellderly were more physically active, slightly leaner on average and had attained a significantly higher level of education.

Financial

Being stable financially will not only take some pressure off your shoulders, but help you concentrate on the future to attain this Wellderly lifestyle. Always keep an eye out for fraud and scams when it comes to bank statements or strange phone calls asking to pay bills. We have some other helpful tips in our blog Financial Awareness.

Mental

Keeping a sharp and positive mind is key. Many research studies have shown that completing word puzzles like crosswords will help battle cognitive decline. Card games like bridge also exercise your brain by strategizing your moves to win the game.

Physical

Everyone will have aches and pains as they grow older, but taking the time to stay active and exercising regularly will help eliminate some of the negative effects. It all depends on what you like to do to stay active. Take a look out our Senior Fitness Guide to see which activity would be best for you. 

Emotional

To exercise a positive mind Dr. Pamela M. Peeke suggests referring to yourself with empowering messages such as “Yes, I’m 80 and quite wellderly, thank you!” or “I plan on being one of the wellderly one day.” That makes getting older seem quite positive.

Secure Aging wants you to enjoy life and stay healthy and active by practicing Wellderly techniques. We can help make life easier by tracking monthly income and expenses, as well as fully advocating for our clients’ well-being and safety. We are here to help make your life easier and keep your loved ones safe.

Reba Rogers, CPA, is the founder of Secure Aging, a group of care managers who preserve the independence and protect the assets of seniors by helping them with financial management. She is also a Director Consultant for BNI (Business Network International), a referral marketing organization which gives her access to many trusted business professionals in the community.

 

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