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If you're a fan of the phrase 'you're only as old as you feel' then the latest research could be good news.Because according to a US study, those of us who walk on the sunny side of the street feel younger than we really are – 12 years younger, in fact.
Researchers asked the 500 volunteers, aged between 55 and 74, how old they felt and then repeated the question some 10 years later.
On average, the men felt 11 and a half years younger than their age and the women an even more youthful 12 and a half years.
And those who looked on the bright side of life tended to keep their mind young, thereby reducing their risk of suffering the mental decline associated with old age.
Researcher Markus Schafer, of Purdue University in Indiana, wrote in the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences: "How old you are matters, but beyond that it's your interpretation that has far-reaching implications for the process of ageing.
"So, if you feel old beyond your own chronological years you are probably going to experience a lot of the downsides that we associate with ageing.
"But if you are older and maintain a sense of being younger, then that gives you an edge in maintaining a lot of the abilities your prize."
And with recent research showing that we are at our most content at the age of 74, it seems we really can look forward to our golden years.
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