Researchers often call this self-efficacy, which simply means your belief in your ability to succeed at a specific task. In exercise research, older adults with higher self-efficacy are more likely to start, continue, and stick with physical activity
over time.
That makes sense. If someone believes, “This is pointless; I’m too old; my body can’t change,” they are less likely to keep going when exercise feels hard.
But if someone believes,
“This may take time, but I can get stronger,” that person is much more likely to practice, repeat, recover from setbacks, and improve..
Studies on Aging
There is also fascinating research on beliefs about aging itself.
Studies from Yale have found that older adults with more positive beliefs about aging tend to have better long-term
health outcomes.
In one well-known study, people with more positive self-perceptions of aging lived an average of 7.5 years longer than those with more negative views. Other research has linked positive age beliefs with better recovery from disability and improvements in walking speed and cognitive function.
That does not mean we can simply “think away” arthritis, pain, disease, or real physical limitations.
But it does mean this:
What we believe
about aging can influence what we attempt. What we attempt influences what we practice. And what we practice changes the body.
I see this all the time.
