Money vs Memories in Retirement

What brings us more comfort?

Oct 22, 2024

6 min

Summary: This article explores whether or not money or memories will bring more comfort to the elderly. It is written with the underlying assumption that there is already enough money to meet basic living expenses.

As we age, the question of what will bring us the most comfort in our twilight years becomes increasingly relevant. For many, it comes down to two key aspects: money and memories. On the one hand, financial security provides a foundation of comfort, ensuring that one’s needs are met without the fear of lacking resources. On the other hand, cherished memories bring emotional warmth, helping individuals navigate the often-challenging aging journey.

In this article, we will explore which of these two — money or memories—plays a more significant role in delivering comfort in old age, assuming one has enough financial resources to cover basic living expenses.

While I appreciate that good health takes precedence over money and memories, we unfortunately do not have complete control over our health. However, we have control over our decision to save our money to give us comfort. Or we can choose to spend our money to create memories that will provide us with comfort.

Financial Security: A Foundation for Comfort

Money is a powerful enabler, allowing us to meet our needs and desires. It's particularly important in the context of aging because it can mitigate many of the hardships of growing older.

1. Access to Quality Healthcare: One of the most significant concerns for elderly individuals is health. With aging comes a higher likelihood of chronic conditions, disabilities, and the need for regular medical attention. Financial security allows individuals to afford quality healthcare, access advanced treatments, and have the freedom to choose the best facilities. Having sufficient money provides a critical safety net for those who experience sudden medical emergencies or need long-term care.

2. Comfortable Living Arrangements: As people age, they often face the decision of where to live. While some prefer to stay home, others may move to assisted living facilities or hire caregivers. Financial resources enable elderly individuals to choose comfortable living environments tailored to their needs and preferences. A well-maintained home, access to mobility aids, or a peaceful retirement community can significantly enhance an individual’s day-to-day life.

3. Freedom and Autonomy: Financial independence in old age allows for greater autonomy. With money, elderly individuals can control their lives by making choices that suit their preferences, such as travelling, pursuing hobbies, or supporting loved ones. The ability to make decisions about healthcare, leisure, or everyday living preserves dignity and independence, both of which are central to feeling comfortable and fulfilled.

4. Reducing Stress and Anxiety: Aging can bring about several uncertainties, especially health and mobility. However, financial security can significantly reduce the stress and anxiety of worrying about the future. Knowing that expenses, including potentially unforeseen ones, are covered allows elderly individuals to focus on enjoying life rather than constantly fretting over how to afford their basic needs. This peace of mind is invaluable in ensuring a comfortable old age.

While money plays a crucial role in creating a foundation of comfort, it has emotional and psychological well-being limitations. This is where memories come into play.

Memories: Emotional Anchors in the Journey of Aging

As the years pass, memories become a primary source of emotional sustenance. They connect individuals to their past, their loved ones, and the experiences that shaped their lives. When people reflect on what matters most to them in old age, it’s often not material wealth but the moments that brought them joy, love, and meaning.

1. Emotional Fulfillment: Memories of joyful experiences, adventures, and time spent with loved ones can offer deep emotional fulfillment in old age. Recalling meaningful moments provides a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, reminding individuals of the richness of their lives. For many, the bonds formed with family and friends, the challenges overcome, and the dreams pursued give life meaning and offer comfort in later years.

2. Connection to Loved Ones: As elderly individuals have fewer physical responsibilities, they often spend more time reminiscing. Positive memories help bridge the gap between generations, allowing the elderly to connect with their children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. Sharing stories from the past strengthens family bonds and ensures that their legacy lives on, creating a sense of continuity and significance.

3. Combatting Loneliness: People may experience increased isolation as they age, particularly after losing a spouse or friends. In such times, memories serve as a balm for loneliness. Even in moments of solitude, recalling past experiences, adventures, or time spent with loved ones can bring comfort. Memories provide companionship in their own right, filling the gaps left by physical absence and reducing feelings of loneliness.

4. Identity and Self-Continuity: Our memories are integral to our identity. They help us understand who we are by reminding us of the paths we've taken, the challenges we’ve faced, and the triumphs we’ve celebrated. For elderly individuals, the ability to look back on a life well-lived reinforces their sense of self. Memories act as an anchor, helping them feel grounded as they navigate the changes that come with aging.

5. Psychological Resilience: Life is inevitably full of hardships, and old age is no exception. However, memories of overcoming past difficulties provide emotional strength and resilience. Looking back on moments of hardship reminds elderly individuals that they’ve faced challenges before and emerged stronger. This sense of resilience can be empowering in the face of the physical and emotional challenges of aging.

Balancing Money and Memories

It’s essential to recognize that money and memories are not mutually exclusive; they often complement each other. While financial security provides the external comfort and security needed to navigate old age, memories provide the internal warmth and emotional fulfillment that give life depth and meaning.

In determining which offers more comfort, it’s essential to consider an underlying assumption: there is already enough money to meet basic living expenses. In this scenario, it becomes clear that while financial resources are essential, memories are more significant.

Consider the following:

1. Life Experiences Are Often Enabled by Money: The ability to create cherished memories often depends on financial resources. Travelling, pursuing hobbies, and spending quality time with loved ones may all require money. However, the memories created from these experiences—not the money spent—bring lasting comfort. In old age, the satisfaction of having lived a rich life full of meaningful experiences often outweighs the material possessions acquired.

2. Financial Security Loses Meaning Without Emotional Fulfillment: Imagine having all the money needed in old age but lacking meaningful memories or connections to loved ones. In this case, wealth would bring only a hollow sense of comfort. With emotional fulfillment, money is likely to provide lasting satisfaction. In contrast, those with a lifetime of cherished memories may find comfort even in modest circumstances, as their inner wealth—their experiences—remains invaluable.

3. The Longevity of Memories vs. Material Wealth: As we age, our ability to enjoy material goods and external pleasures may diminish due to declining health or physical limitations. However, memories transcend physical limitations. Even if elderly individuals cannot travel or engage in once-loved activities, they can still find joy in recalling their past. In this sense, memories have a longevity that material wealth may lack.

4. Regret and Fulfillment in Old Age: Many studies have shown that people regret missed opportunities and unfulfilled relationships far more than financial shortcomings at the end of life. The things that bring peace and comfort in old age are often intangible: love, connection, purpose, and meaning. Memories of having lived a full life, having nurtured relationships, and having followed one’s passions often bring a greater sense of contentment than wealth alone.

The Enduring Power of Memories

In the context of aging, both money and memories play significant roles in creating comfort. Financial security provides the practical means to ensure health, independence, and a comfortable lifestyle, while memories offer emotional sustenance, a sense of identity, and a connection to loved ones.

At Retire with Equity, we suggest everyone create an emergency fund of at least 5% of their retirement savings. One primary purpose of this fund is to pay for unexpected healthcare needs, such as assisted living or hiring caregivers.

Given that basic financial needs are met, memories—those intangible, priceless moments—tend to provide the most incredible comfort in old age. They remind us of the richness of life, the love we’ve shared, and the experiences that have shaped who we are. While money offers external comfort, memories provide internal peace, warmth, and solace as we navigate the later stages of life.

Ultimately, what will comfort us in our golden years is not how much money we have in the bank but how much life we’ve genuinely lived.

Don't retire---Re-Wire

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Mar 13, 2026

10 min

Retirement Maxxing: How Small Decisions Help You Build a Better Future

The basic idea is to pick a corner of your life and optimize it ruthlessly. Sleep maxxing. Health maxxing. Productivity maxxing. In its more extreme corners, people are attempting to optimize their actual physical features. Go ahead and Google "looksmaxxing" if you are curious and have a strong constitution. One influencer named Clavicular — a 20-year-old from Hoboken who claims to have taken a literal hammer to his face to coax a chiselled jawline — has become the reigning king of this particular rabbit hole. Medical experts would prefer you not try that at home. The Globe and Mail published a comprehensive explainer on the whole phenomenon. The Republican National Committee put out a press release praising Donald Trump for "jobsmaxxing" the economy. The Department of Defence posted a soldier with the caption "lethality maxxing." It has become, as one writer put it, the suffix that just will not quit. Retirement Maxxing: because chin waxing, I mean maxxing, was already taken. And yet, buried beneath all the absurdity, the underlying impulse is not entirely ridiculous. Humans want to optimize things. We always have. The real question is whether we are optimizing the right things. Then, as these things sometimes happen, three articles landed in my inbox in the same week and refused to leave my mind. Maxxing. The psychology of future selves. A golfer named Max Greyserman, who sits just one-tenth of a stroke from the top of his sport. I am not a woman who ignores signs. The connection was obvious once I saw it: retirement might be the most important time to apply this kind of thinking. Not the obsessive version involving ice baths and fourteen supplements before breakfast. The practical version. Thoughtful maxxing that quietly stacks the odds in your favour over decades. Retirement isn't just one decision; it's hundreds made over the years, each guiding your future self toward either financial dignity or a Shaggy tribute tour you never signed up for. The “Shaggy Problem”: How Your Retirement Decisions Today Determine Your Financial Security Tomorrow You remember Shaggy. The reggae artist. Enormous hit. "It Wasn't Me." When it comes to retirement, it absolutely was you. Every decision you make today is writing a letter to your future self. Some of those letters are generous and thoughtful. Others arrive decades later, like a bill you forgot to pay, from a creditor with excellent memory and zero sympathy. The seventy-five-year-old version of you hopes the fifty-five-year-old paid attention. The eighty-five-year-old version would very much like functioning knees, a dignified income, and the ability to say "I planned for this" rather than "I did not think it would go this fast." It went that fast. That's why the most useful habit you can develop right now is what I call the future-self test. Before making a major financial or lifestyle decision, pause and ask: how will this look from the other end? Will I still think this tattoo is a good idea when I’m ninety? Will I regret staying in a house that is too large and too expensive for another decade? Will my future self thank me for delaying CPP, or curse me for taking it early because waiting felt uncomfortable? Or as the Beatles asked rather memorably: “when I'm sixty-four, will you still need me, will you still feed me?” The song is charming. The financial planning version is considerably less so if you have not thought it through. The future-self test is not complicated. It is just the habit of writing better letters. What Sports Analytics Can Teach Us About Smarter Retirement Decisions Speaking of decisions that come back to haunt you, let's discuss probabilities. A recent New York Times article about golfer Max Greyserman stopped me mid-scroll (Lindgren, 2026). Not because of the golf — though the golf is fascinating — but because of what it revealed about the gap between what the data says and what people actually do when the stakes are high. Greyserman's scoring average is less than one-tenth of a stroke per round away from the elite level. One-tenth of a stroke. Not a full swing, a putting mistake, or a collapse on the eighteenth. The difference between obscurity and greatness in pro golf is about the time it takes to find your reading glasses. Which, as we've established, were on your head the entire time. Hockey analytics have demonstrated that teams trailing late in a game should often pull the goalie much earlier than the traditional last-ninety-seconds rule. Research indicates that pulling the goalie around the eight-minute mark can significantly boost the chances of scoring, as the extra attacker alters the odds. However, most coaches still wait until the final minute or two. Why? Because if you pull the goalie at eight minutes and lose badly, it can look like you lost your mind. The math checks out, but the optics are terrifying. Soccer offers a similarly uncomfortable example. A widely cited study analysing thousands of penalty kicks found that about one-third of kicks are aimed straight down the middle of the net, yet goalkeepers stay in the centre only around six percent of the time (Chiappori, Levitt, & Groseclose, 2002). Shooting directly down the middle often provides good odds because the keeper has already committed to diving one way or the other. But if the goalkeeper stays put and makes the save, the kicker seems to have tried to outsmart the odds and failed. The math checks out. The optics, however, are still terrifying. Retirement is filled with these moments. And most people make their decisions based on the optics. Common Retirement Decisions Canadians Get Wrong — And What the Data Actually Says: Working a couple of extra years often delivers significantly better retirement outcomes, yet people retire early because they feel emotionally ready. Delaying CPP can greatly increase guaranteed lifetime income, yet many choose to claim early because waiting seems risky. Downsizing can free up cash and lessen financial stress, yet people stay in large homes because selling feels like giving up. Using home equity wisely can boost retirement income, yet many retirees dismiss this option because of a stigma rooted in outdated beliefs rather than current data. In each case, the emotionally comfortable choice is not the one with the best long-term odds. Fear of loss, fear of regret, fear of looking foolish — those emotions sprint ahead of rational thinking every single time. That is why the future-self test matters. Math is universal, but money is deeply personal, and the goal is to let one inform the other before it is too late. The Psychology of Retirement Saving: Why We Treat Our Future Self Like a Stranger The second New York Times article examined the psychology of how we connect with our future selves (The New York Times, 2026). The findings are humbling. Psychologists have discovered that people often see their future self almost like a stranger, which explains why saving for retirement can seem somewhat punishing. It feels less like helping yourself and more like sending a cheque to someone who shares your cheekbones but whose problems seem distant and abstract. Research led by Hal Hershfield found that when people feel more connected to their future selves, they save more and make consistently better long-term financial decisions (Hershfield, 2011). Retirement planning is not just about spreadsheets and withdrawal rates. It is about being genuinely generous towards the person you are becoming. It is a love letter, written in small decisions, over a very long time. So, write a good one. Your future self is counting on you. How to Optimize Your Retirement: A Practical Framework for Canadians If retirement maxxing were a lifestyle trend — and I am formally proposing that it should be — it wouldn’t involve bone-smashing or extreme jawline enhancement. It would look more like this. Health Maxxing: Why Strength and Mobility Are Financial Assets Move your body. Lift weights now and then. Walk up hills. Muscle strength is one of the most underrated assets for retirement that nobody discusses at dinner parties. Research from the National Institute on Aging confirms that strength training improves mobility, balance, and healthy longevity (National Institute on Aging, 2023). These are the very factors that influence whether your later years feel like a gift or a burden. People hesitate over the cost of a gym membership while ignoring the significant long-term benefit of staying upright, independent, and capable. Skipping exercise to save a few dollars is like stepping over a hundred-dollar bill to find a quarter. As Aunt Equity likes to say: be careful not to get out over your skis. (Yes, that was an exercise metaphor. You’re welcome.) Income Maxxing: How to Build Reliable Cash Flow That Lasts Build reliable income streams so you can sleep at night without one eye on the market. Pensions, annuities, dividends, home equity, and carefully structured withdrawals — these all play a role in a well-crafted retirement income plan. The goal isn’t to maximize a single number – it’s to reduce the worry behind all of them. If your retirement plan currently makes you watch financial news at midnight while eating crackers over the sink, something has gone wrong and we should talk. Purpose Maxxing:Why It Matters for Your Health and Longevity Retirement is not a forty-year holiday. Humans need purpose, connection, and something worth getting out of bed for — especially on days when nobody expects you anywhere and the morning is entirely, terrifyingly yours. NIH research consistently shows that social engagement and a sense of purpose are linked to better health and longer life (National Institute on Aging, 2023). Purpose is what makes a retirement that feels like freedom different from one that feels like a long Sunday afternoon with nowhere to go. Somewhere along the way, society decided that aging meant quietly fading into the background. Retirement is when you finally have permission to dye your hair a vibrant colour, volunteer somewhere meaningful, start a project that genuinely excites you, or do all three at once and totally surprise your grandchildren. Purpose is not optional. It is the foundation. Decision Maxxing: How to Overcome Emotional Bias Use data when the stakes are high. Emotions are useful for choosing dessert but much less reliable for planning a thirty-year income. Don't swat away analytics like a fly at a family picnic just because they suggest something uncomfortable. Run projections. Stress-test your plan. Understand probabilities. Pull the goalie early if the math indicates so, even if it looks odd at the moment. Because appearing odd now and being wrong later are not the same thing. Not even close. The Ending That Brings It All Together: Small Decisions That Compound Over Time Here’s what three articles about “maxxing” our future selves, and golf, taught me about retirement. Clavicular is out there taking a hammer to his face in pursuit of optimization. Max Greyserman is grinding for one-tenth of a stroke. Hal Hershfield is reminding us that we treat our future selves like strangers when we should treat them like people we love. And somewhere between all three of them is the retirement insight that really matters: the best decisions compound quietly. Tiny improvements in health, income strategy, purpose, and decision-making build up into dramatically different outcomes over decades. Not because of one dramatic move, but because of many small, sensible ones made with the future in mind. Your future self isn't a stranger waiting to judge you. They are the person you are intentionally becoming, shaped by every decision you make today. Perform the future-self test before making risky decisions like pulling the goalie, shooting down the middle, or getting a tattoo that might lead to an awkward chat with your colonoscopy technician (this is for you, JK). Consider whether your fifty-five-year-old self is being kind to your seventy-five-year-old self. Look at what the data says, not just what feels right. Retirement maxxing isn't about perfection. It's about making small, sensible decisions consistently and thoughtfully over time. Think of it as compound interest for your future self. Einstein allegedly called compounding the most powerful force in the universe. He was talking about money, but he might as well have been talking about the small, steady choices that create a retirement worth living. Your future self will be deeply grateful—having functional knees, a dignified income, and a tattoo they still absolutely love. And when you turn sixty-four, and someone asks how you got there so gracefully, you won't need to channel your inner Shaggy. You just smile and say: It was me! Sue Don’t Retire…ReWire! P.S. Aunt Equity approves. Ready to start retirement maxxing? Here are two things you can do today. Run the future-self test on one financial decision you have been avoiding. Just one. Write down what your seventy-five-year-old self would think of the choice you are leaning toward. You might be surprised what comes up. Move your body and find your people. Join a pickleball club, a walking group, a trivia night, or a bridge league. Laugh often. Sweat occasionally. Your future self needs both, and your colonoscopy technician will be thrilled. Want more insights like this? Subscribe to my free newsletter here, where I share practical strategies, real-world stories, and straight talk about navigating retirement with confidence—not confusion. Plus, all subscribers get exclusive early access to advance chapters from my upcoming book. For Canadians 55+: Get actionable advice on making your home equity work for you, understanding your options, and living retirement on your terms. For Mortgage Brokers and Financial Professionals: Learn how to become the trusted advisor your 55+ clients desperately need (and will refer to everyone they know). This isn't just another revenue stream—it's your opportunity to build lasting relationships in Canada's fastest-growing demographic.

Mar 6, 2026

5 min

My MBA at 69: Q1 Results Are In. And Nobody Is More Surprised Than Me

When I wrote my first post about starting an MBA at 69, I was running on caffeine, stubbornness, and a mild identity crisis. I was drowning in software platforms, APA formatting, and the humbling reality that open-book quizzes could still make me sweat. Fast forward to today. I am now 25% complete. Even typing that makes me sit up straighter. More surprising? I am maintaining an A average. Yes. An A. Let that land for a moment. Before anyone faints, let me be clear. I am not retiring my original mantra. "Even C's Get Degrees" still lives on a sticky note in my brain. I repeat it whenever the ego starts strutting around like it owns the place. The goal was never perfection. The goal was sustainable progress and full nights of sleep. The A average is delightful. The mantra is protective. My dog Dottie approves of both. She now perches on the back of the couch while I work, casting supervisory glances in my direction like a very small, very opinionated board member. We are in a much better place emotionally. The household has stabilized. What I did not anticipate was how much this experience would reveal about me. Lesson #1: Experience Is the Assignment Nobody Grades The content is strong. The business frameworks and systems I am learning are elegant. But the real gift has been realizing that my decades of experience give depth to everything I read. When the textbook discusses competitive positioning or industry cycles, I do not see abstract diagrams. I see real businesses. I hear boardroom conversations. I remember decisions that worked beautifully — and others that required creative explanations and, occasionally, some very careful walking back. The theories have texture because I have lived them. This MBA is not separate from my work. It is sharpening it. Every case study filters through the same question: How does this apply to retirees? I cannot turn that lens off. Frankly, I would not want to. At the same time, not every concept survives intact outside the classroom. We are taught that firms must choose clearly between cost leadership and differentiation. Tidy in theory. Messier in practice, where most organizations stumble through imperfect hybrids while real-world pressures refuse to behave according to the textbook. I learn the models thoroughly. I cite them properly. I demonstrate mastery. And yes, after nearly losing my mind over whether a journal article published in 2019 requires a DOI or a retrieved-from URL, I can now format an APA 7th edition reference in my sleep. Whether I want to is another conversation entirely. But maturity lets me see where the models bend. Lesson #2: Selective Excellence Is Not Laziness. It's Wisdom. One of the biggest lessons this term has been prioritization. At 29, I wanted to prove myself. At 69, I want to improve myself. Earlier in life I would have tried to ace everything equally. Today, I allocate energy strategically. Marketing excites me. Strategy energizes me. Organizational behaviour feels like coming home. Those subjects get my full intellectual investment. Accounting gets solid, disciplined, B-minus effort. I say that proudly. Retirement is also selective excellence. You do not need to be good at everything anymore. You get to double down on what lights you up. Coursework. Careers. Life. All of it. But growth is not without discomfort. Lesson #3: The Classroom Has No Hallways Anymore My program is entirely virtual. No hallway conversations. No accidental coffee chats that turn into the best part of your week. Everything happens on screens, and group projects test my patience more than any midterm ever could. I even considered removing my photo from my profile to avoid immediate age assumptions. Then I took a breath and remembered who I am. If someone sees my age and quietly categorizes me as someone's grandmother, so be it. They have never met Aunt Equity when she puts her purse down. For the record: I do not own a purse. In one recent group assignment, a teammate gently pointed out that I had used an em dash in a formal case report. A rookie mistake, apparently. Instead of bristling, I thanked them for the compliment. If I am still making rookie mistakes, I am still capable of growth. That exchange meant more to me than the grade. Lesson #4: The Advantage of Having Nothing Left to Prove Age has given me something powerful: detachment. I am not chasing internships. I am not competing for promotions. I am here because I want to be here, and that freedom changes everything. I can question thoughtfully. I can log off at a reasonable hour. I can engage with students young enough to be my grandchildren without an ounce of ego about it. Mostly. And still, whenever I feel the ego creeping back in about that A average, I whisper: "Even C's Get Degrees." It works every time. Lesson #5: Curiosity Does Not Come With an Expiry Date The deeper curriculum of this MBA has little to do with GPA. It has taught me that humility sharpens thinking. That curiosity does not expire. That stretching intellectually at 69 feels remarkably similar to climbing toward Everest Base Camp at 60. You question your sanity. You adapt. You keep moving. When I look at my latest grades, I do not feel relief. I feel possibility. If I can adapt to new technology, academic writing standards, and Zoom calls at 7 AM, then reinvention is not reserved for youth. It is available to anyone willing to risk being a beginner again. Are You Putting Your Experience To Work? If you are over 60 and thinking about taking a course, writing a book, starting a business, or learning something that scares you a little — here is the truth: Your experience is not a liability. It is leverage. Your decades are not dead weight. They are the whole point. And if you are willing to risk being a beginner again, reinvention will meet you exactly where you are. I am 25% done. Seventy is approaching. The mantra still stands. Remember, even C's Get Degrees. But when you bring seven decades of lived experience into the classroom, the curve has a way of bending in your favour. Now, if you will excuse me, Dottie has just planted herself directly on my laptop and is staring at me with the quiet authority of someone who has already read the syllabus on Google Scholar. Eighteen courses to go. Multiple pots of extra-strong coffee. A carefully curated cocktail of patience, tolerance, and self-care. The honeymoon is officially over. What lies ahead is a full marathon: War and Peace-length reading lists, spreadsheets that test the limits of human endurance, and enough group projects to make a grown woman question everything she knows about herself. Dottie remains unbothered. She has seen me do hard things. She knows I finish what I start. She also knows the whining, complaining, and pleading will eventually stop. (insert slow, world-weary head shake from a very wise ten-pound dog who has heard it all before). Don’t Retire… ReWire! Sue Want to become an expert on serving the senior demographic? Just message me to be notified about the next opportunity to become a "Certified Equity Advocate" — mastering solution-based advising that transforms how you work with Canada's fastest-growing client segment. Here's the link to sign up.

Feb 17, 2026

8 min

What "Super Agers" Are Teaching Us About Growing Older

When I think about aging well, I don't see a number on a birthday cake. I see capacity. The ability to think clearly. To move with confidence. To stay curious. To laugh easily. To remember where I put my keys. (Okay, that last one is still aspirational.) That's why I teach 4 fitness classes a week and pay close attention to how I fuel my body. Not because I'm chasing youth, but because I've learned, both personally and professionally, that the way we move, eat, sleep, and cope influences how we feel... and how we show up for the people we care about. I don't want to live forever. I just want to live well while I'm here. Like many Boomers, I've been interested in the growing research on longevity. And let's be honest: Boomers have never been good at accepting "no" for an answer. Why would we start now, just because it's mortality asking? We're the generation that refused to compromise. Retirement? Optional. Slowing down? Negotiable. Death? We'd like to speak to the manager. This leads us to a fascinating group of scientists known as "Super Agers." Who Are Super Agers, Really? In research terms, Super Agers are adults over 80 whose cognitive abilities, especially memory, perform at levels expected of people in their 50s or 60s (Rogalski et al., 2013). But here's what I love most: they aren't superhuman. They're not top athletes. They're not biohackers living on kale foam and cold plunges at dawn. (Though if that's your thing, carry on.). They're everyday people who never disconnected from life. A striking Canadian example is Morry Kernerman, a Toronto violinist who kept on learning, hiking, and performing well into the ripe age of 101. His story embodies the spirit of Super Aging: it's not about dodging age, it's about refusing to stop living. In a CBC interview, Maury Kernerman doesn't sound like someone "trying to live longer." He talks like someone who's still interested in living, fascinated by the world, hungry for learning, and unwilling to stand still just because he might do something imperfectly. He also admits something that matters to a lot of readers: he wasn't always an exercise person. He started taking it seriously later in life and describes it as a "rear guard action" that hasn't stopped aging, but has helped him keep his capacity. One of the most poignant lessons: when we're afraid of doing the wrong thing, afraid of failing or being embarrassed, we stop. And standing still is what really costs us. Haven't you heard? Sitting is the new Smoking!! What the Science Is Showing Us Canadian and U.S. researchers, at Western University and Northwestern University, are discovering something significant. Not a pill. Not a quick fix. A system. Angela Roberts (Western University) explained that the Canadian arm of the research isn't relying only on lab snapshots. Participants are sent home with wearable devices so researchers can monitor real-world activity patterns continuously (24 hours a day) over multi-week periods (CBC News, 2024 - https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/superager-centenarians-brain-second-opinion-9.7049411). That design matters because it turns "healthy aging" from a vague concept into measurable behaviours: how much movement you get, how intense it is, how consistent it is, and how it fits into the rhythm of normal life. Super Agers typically stay active, remain mentally sharp, maintain close relationships, handle stress effectively, sleep well, and keep a generally positive attitude (Rogalski et al., 2013 - https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_00300; Sun et al., 2016 - https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1492-16.2016) Their brains display thicker cortical areas linked to attention and memory, experience slower atrophy rates, have fewer Alzheimer's markers, and show stronger neuronal connections (Gefen et al., 2015 - https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2998-14.2015; Harrison et al., 2012 - https://doi.org/10.1017/S1355617712000847) A Data Point Worth Remembering When It Comes to Longevity From the wearables, the research study observed that many 80-year-olds in the study, both "super agers" and the control group, were averaging about 25 to 30 minutes of exercise a day (roughly aligned with Canadian movement guidelines). The difference wasn't that super agers moved a little more. The study showed that they got about 30% more of the kind of movement that raises heart rate, what researchers call moderate-to-vigorous physical activity In plain language: it's not just steps. It's getting your engine up into that slightly breathy zone on purpose, most days. There's no single longevity switch. It's a belt-and-suspenders approach: multiple protective habits working together over decades. Let's Talk About Weight (Without Losing Our Minds) People often ask: Should Super Agers be skinny? Or a little plump? The research answer is surprisingly dull (and comforting): Neither. Super Agers come in all sizes. There is no evidence that they share a specific body weight or BMI. What matters much more than the scale is stability, strength, and body composition (Stenholm et al., 2008). Obesity Shows Up Consistently in the Research Midlife obesity is associated with an increased risk of dementia later in life. Several large studies indicate that obesity (BMI ≥30) during midlife raises dementia risk by 33 to 91% compared to individuals of normal weight (Kivipelto et al., 2005; Qizilbash et al., 2015) However, in older age, unintentional weight loss often signals frailty or illness. Weight loss in later life is linked to faster cognitive decline and higher risk of death (Diehr et al., 2008) Being underweight increases the risk of death. Studies consistently indicate that underweight older adults (BMI <20) have 2 to 3 times the all-cause mortality risk compared to those with a normal weight, with one study reporting a 34% higher risk of dementia (Diehr et al., 2008). A slightly higher BMI in later life may actually be protective, especially if muscle mass is maintained. The "obesity paradox" demonstrates that overweight and mild obesity in older adults (ages 65+) are often linked to a lower risk of mortality, particularly from non-cardiovascular diseases (Natale et al., 2023). So, the prescription is clear: avoid extremes. Not so skinny you could use a Cheerio as a hula hoop, and not so plump that tying your shoes feels like a full-contact sport. Here's What Truly Matters: Muscle Mass Strength defends the brain, maintains balance, boosts metabolism, and offers resilience during illness or stress (Peterson & Gordon, 2011) "Skinny-fat", low muscle, higher fat, is actually worse for aging than carrying a bit more weight with muscle beneath (Prado et al., 2012). Super Aging isn't about shrinking yourself. It's about supporting the structure you live in. Sleep: The Quiet Superpower If movement is the main act, sleep is the stage crew ensuring the entire show runs smoothly. Sleep isn't just one thing. It's a cycle (Walker, 2017). The Stages of Sleep (a quick, non-boring tour) Light sleep: The warm-up. Easy to wake from. Necessary, but not enough by itself. Deep sleep: The body's main repair mode. This is where physical repair occurs: muscle recovery, immune support, hormone regulation (Scullin & Bliwise, 2015) (Walker, 2017). REM sleep: The brain's spa. Memory consolidation, emotional regulation, creativity, and learning all occur here (Scullin & Bliwise, 2015) (Walker, 2017). Missing deep sleep leaves your body feeling exhausted. Missing REM causes your brain to become fragile and foggy (Mander et al., 2017). Super Agers tend to guard their sleep, though not perfectly, deliberately (Mander et al., 2016). Consistent bedtimes, morning sunlight, daily activity, and relaxing evenings appear repeatedly. For some people, slow-release melatonin or magnesium can help improve sleep maintenance (Ferracioli-Oda et al., 2013). However, the greatest benefits often come from simple routines: consistency, darkness, cooler rooms, and avoiding phone use at 10 p.m. Sleep isn't a luxury. It's essential brain maintenance (Mander et al., 2017). Stress: The Real Villain Chronic stress is like kryptonite for cognitive health (McEwen & Sapolsky, 1995). The main source of stress is not accepting what is. We argue with reality, and we lose every time. We revisit conversations. We resist change. We attempt to control others. Super Agers appear more accepting, not resignation, but realism (Sun et al., 2016) Here are some practical strategies to consider: Let them. (Thank you, Mel Robbins.) People will be people. You don't need to manage them. Save your energy for what truly matters. And remember: what people think of you... is none of your business. Calm isn't passive. Calm is protective. Gratitude also plays a role. Many Super Agers exhibit a distinct emotional tone: more grateful, less gripeful (Hill & Allemand, 2011) Life wasn't simpler; they simply didn't let bitterness steer the way. Relationships and Quality of Life: The Real Gold Standard Super Agers don't have more friends; they have deeper ones. Strong relationships are linked to better emotional regulation and preserved brain regions. (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2014) (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010) And this isn't about extending life. It's about quality of life: cognitive, physical, and emotional well-being. Because no one wants a farewell-to-life party where nobody shows up because you've been miserable, bitter, or exhausting to be around (thank you, BR). Strong body. Clear mind. Warm relationships. A sense of humour that endures gravity. That's the win. 3 Practical Takeaways to Steal this Week If you want the super-ager approach without turning your life into a science experiment, here are three low-drama moves: Add intensity, not just activity. Keep your regular walk, but pick one segment to walk faster, take a hill, or add short brisk bursts. Your heart rate is the clue. Keep a learning thread running. Music, audiobooks, a class, a museum habit, a book club, anything that keeps your mind taxed in a good way and makes you feel curious again. Make "don't stand still" a rule. If you're avoiding something because you might look silly (a dance class, a new hobby, a new friend group), that's exactly the place to lean in, gently, but on purpose. Super Agers aren't chasing youth. (No one needs to see me in low-rise jeans again.) They're cultivating engagement. (Do you want to dance?) They move. They learn. They sleep well. They stay positive. They accept what is. They remain connected. They rely on the belt and suspenders. And most importantly, they don't wait for permission to live life to the fullest at any age. Yes, biology will win eventually. None of us gets out of this alive. But the real victory isn't in defeating what we can't control. It's in mastering what we can, for as long as we can, and living fully right up until biology takes its final bow. Don't Retire...ReWire! 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