How to become a ‘SuperAger’

As health sciences continue to evolve, people are looking to add years to their lives, striving to become what’s now being known as SuperAgers.

Researchers in the relatively new field of study are examining what contributes to the health of those living in their 80s and 90s compared to their peers.

In the latest SuperAgers Family Study , researchers are looking to find out if what works for others can be replicated, making it possible for more people to live longer lives.

Dr. Sofiya Milman, the director of the Human Longevity Studies at Einstein’s Institute for Aging Research, was behind the research. She shared with Fortune that living healthy years at the end of your life is possible.

“It’s not inevitable that we will become disabled and sick as we get older. What we’re learning from these unique individuals is that it is biologically plausible for us to live long and healthy,” Milman said. “Once we know what causes longevity, that it’s not a disease, we can then create therapies that will promote that biological longevity, and ultimately, that’s the goal of what we’re doing.”

The study, which was funded by the American Federation for Aging Research, defines a SuperAger as anyone over 95 years old who has healthy cognitive abilities and consents to being in the study.

Milman’s research team isn’t the only one looking into those who are healthy in their later years.

The SuperAging Research Initiative at Northwestern says that a SuperAger is anyone in their 80s or 90s who has the brain capacity of someone in their 50s or 60s.

Still, no matter how they are defined, Milman says that the pool of SuperAgers to study from isn’t vast. With a small sample size, researchers have their work cut out to determine what lifestyle and genetic contributions help them stay cognitively healthy at an older age.

“A lot of the research is suggesting that these people who reach these exceptional lifespans probably have a certain genetic predisposition to becoming a SuperAger, and we learned that because there’s a strong family history of longevity in these individuals,” Milman shared.

So, what could you do to be as sharp as a whipper snapper in your eighth and ninth decades?

Milman says that having healthy habits can play a major role in your overall and brain health as you age. Prioritizing moving your body, getting at least seven hours of sleep every night, and eating whole foods while limiting processed foods that can lead to inflammation are all tips that Milman recommends.

“We have enough evidence at this point that a healthy lifestyle, like getting sufficient sleep, avoiding excess alcohol intake, avoiding smoking, and exercising, is good for you and can extend the period of time that you’re disease-free and can extend somebody’s lifespan,” Milman said.

Other tips that the researcher suggested included learning new things as a means to keep your brain engaged and form more neural connections, maintaining a positive attitude and outlook on life, and having strong social relationships.

“It has been suggested that SuperAgers are more positive and have a more positive outlook on life,” Milman says. “I think that may be synonymous in some ways with being more resilient and being able to overcome adversity and still have a positive outlook.”