Geriatrician reveals the habit the healthiest people over 80 always avoid

Key Points:

• Dr. Stephanie Rogers, a geriatrician, advises that avoiding comfort and consistently challenging oneself throughout life is a key habit shared by healthy older adults, based on the concept of hormesis, which involves exposing the body to manageable stress to build resilience.
• Hormesis improves health during aging by triggering beneficial adaptations in the body and brain, but it is not necessarily linked to increased lifespan; regular exercise, a healthy diet, and maintaining a healthy weight remain the best-supported methods for longevity.
• Examples of hormesis include strength training and consuming plant compounds like resveratrol and sulforaphane, which activate the body's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory defenses.
• Rogers recommends varying physical activities and trying new movements to enhance physical health, supported by a 2026 study showing a 19% lower mortality risk among people who engage in diverse exercises compared to those with repetitive routines.
• For cognitive health, learning new skills such as a second language can slow age-related cognitive decline and promote neuroplasticity, with research indicating benefits for attention, memory, and executive function even when language study begins later in life.