Beliefs, Aging, and Lifespan
Did you know your beliefs about aging can add 7.5 years to your life?
That was the key number that stuck out to me in my most recent read: Breaking the Age Code by Dr. Becca Levy. Her central premise is simple but powerful: the way we think about aging directly influences how long and how well we live. Helpful beliefs about aging don’t just shape our outlook — they change our biology, impacting both lifespan and healthspan.
So where do these beliefs come from? We aren’t born with them. They’re learned — through culture, society, and family. In the U.S., aging is often treated like a decline to fight off, a problem to hide, or a joke to laugh at. Compare that with eastern cultures, where elders are honored as keepers of wisdom, integrated into daily life, and expected to age with vitality. The outcomes match the stories: Japan has some of the longest lifespans in the world. Even within families, what you witnessed matters — if you grew up seeing grandparents active, capable, and engaged, that became your vision of what’s possible. If you grew up hearing decline was inevitable, that story became your script. And your body tends to follow the script your mind believes.
The good news: beliefs aren’t fixed—they’re learned, and they can be unlearned and reshaped. Start with awareness: notice how you think and talk about aging (to yourself and others), and take an honest look at how active you really are. Awareness alone won’t change beliefs; action will. Use that inventory to make small, consistent moves: surround yourself with people who live out the beliefs you want to embody, upgrade your self-talk to language that supports aging well, and weave more movement into every day. Step by step, you’ll replace the old script with a new one—your body will thank you for it.
And remember — this isn’t just about you. The way you live sets the standard for your kids, grandkids, and the next generation. They’re watching what you believe about aging. They’re learning from how you move, how you talk about yourself, and how you show up for life.
The long game isn’t just about living longer — it’s about living well. And the story you choose to believe about aging might be the one of the most powerful you ever make.
If you’re looking for more direct strategies to upgrade your beliefs shoot me an email and we’ll jump on a call this week: alexrhargrove@gmail.com