Aging is an observable physical process. With time, our bodies get frail and weak. There is loss of physical structure and biological function. Question: is aging a necessary road downhill for all of us?

It seems that for many people that is the case. However, but for some individual, it isn’t.

Aging is a process that occurs gradually. We do not get old from one day to the next — it’s not like you start to get old from the start of your 40th birthday. It actually starts from the day you were born — so gradual is our growth and decline, that it’s almost imperceptible.

Usually, it’s the external things in our lives that remind us that we’re getting old such as birthdays, kids growing up, pop songs, our friends getting old, or when we find that we cannot do certain physical things as we used to in the past.

We can see the proof that the process of aging is not universal, when we compare people who are in their 70s and above. Groups of older people of the same age have starkly different physical conditions. Some remain fit and active, while others get immobile and dependent.

Medical science has allowed us the collective longevity never expected in previous generations. As we live longer, we stand the risk of living many years as aged and dependent. It is certainly in our interest to be able to stay active and healthy way our 80s and 90s.

Can we leave how we age to fate?

No. This is because no matter how young we are, our lifestyles today determine how we age.