What a Half-Full Glass Gets You

If you’re one of those people with a swing in your step and a can-do attitude, you can look forward to better health when you get older.

Research shows that, late in life, people with a glass-half-full outlook tend to feel physically stronger than their more pessimistic peers.

Key Steps to Strong
So what were the key attitude markers that made people feel less exhausted and more able-bodied in their older years? Specifically, those who felt less frail had higher self-esteem, tended to be more hopeful about the future, felt happier overall, and were focused on enjoying life. Do you need help getting there? Try these tricks:

• Boost your confidence with this simple posture adjustment. (Seriously, it works!)
• Take control of your financial future with the tips and tools here.
• Find out the secret to being happy. Take the quiz in this article.
• Learn to savor each moment with this relaxation strategy.

Happy Helps Your Immune System
Researchers suspect that positive feelings help support the immune system, which might help explain the better outcomes for happy seniors. Here are 10 more tips for beating life's Major Agers.

Onset of frailty in older adults and the protective role of positive affect. Ostir, G. V. et al., Psychology and Aging 2004 Sep;19(3):402-408.