It’s one for the agers!
David Cravit and Larry Wolf, the minds behind the online magazine and newsletter SuperAgingNews.com, and who identify as “superagers” in their 80s, have unveiled their latest creation, “The SuperAging Workbook.”
This workbook is a companion to their 2023 publication, “SuperAging: Getting Older Without Getting Old,” which introduced the seven A’s of superaging—guidelines for enjoying a healthier and more rewarding life past the age of 65.
Packed with prompts, activities, quizzes, worksheets, and more, the workbook is designed to assist you in making your senior years unparalleled in quality.
“[‘SuperAging’] was a category bestseller on Amazon,” Cravit and Wolf told The Post.
“Our readership (along with our publisher) believed that the workbook format would be a perfect fit for the program. This interactive book, complete with exercises, quizzes, and worksheets, is intended to help readers effectively learn and apply the system.”
Here’s a look at the seven A’s — including the one that “serves as the foundation for all the others.”
Attitude
Superagers have a positive outlook and a concrete vision of the future — there’s a lot they want to do and they trust there’s still time to do it.
“The first A — attitude — serves as the foundation for all the others,” the authors said.
“Without a positive attitude, the other components can’t and won’t come into play as fully or as effectively as they might.”
They noted that a cheerful demeanor does not mean denial or avoidance of challenges, particularly those related to health or mobility.
Awareness
Superagers are known for their careful and methodical approach to gathering, dissecting, and critically assessing information instead of passively receiving it.
Maintaining awareness can be difficult in the 24/7 news cycle, the authors acknowledged.
“Almost daily, there’s a fresh medical breakthrough or new study that challenges long-held beliefs. Eat this, avoid that — it’s a rotating door of ‘miracle diets’ you can’t afford to miss,” they remarked.
“How do you keep up? How do you know what to trust?”
Cravit and Wolf recommend exploring channels that take you outside your comfort zone, like social media — perhaps you’ll find an activity or new product worth trying.
Activity
It’s essential to exercise the body — and the mind.
Superagers like to learn about and try innovations in nutrition, fitness, brain health and overall wellness.
Mastering them provides a sense of accomplishment, which can contribute to a positive attitude.
Activities can be modified or dropped to make room for new ones.
“Larry is a good example. He was an avid skier, tennis player and cyclist, but due to an eye problem is now limited in some of those earlier activities,” Cravit said.
“However, he has taken up new activities, such as golf and tai chi, where he is learning the basics of tai chi swordsmanship.“
Autonomy
Superagers value maintaining their physical independence, such as staying in their own home and community as long as possible, and control over their finances.
Accomplishment
The achievements don’t stop with age.
Working, volunteering or strengthening their relationships are some of the goals that superagers continue to attain.
Attachment
Because loneliness and social isolation can have severe consequences for health and lifespan, it’s important to cultivate existing relationships and forge new ones.
Avoidance
Superagers are also highly proactive in mitigating risks like ageism in the marketplace, fraud and scams.
The authors still encourage exploration of new possibilities.
“The longevity revolution is constantly producing new discoveries, new techniques, new ideas and trends, all of which support the seven As,” Cravit and Wolf said.
“We continue to track these and bring them to a growing audience on our website and accompanying newsletter.”
