If you watched Bobbie Lee sprint across a tennis court chasing down a shot, you probably wouldn’t guess she’ll turn 70 later this year.
Lee has been playing tennis for about 20 years, and today she says she’s in some of the best health of her life. Aside from taking a low-dose medication for high blood pressure, she she doesn’t take any other prescribed medications, stays socially active and spends much of her free time working to improve her game.
“I never imagined this is what my life would look like at 70,” Lee said.
Her parents’ retirement looked very different.
“My parents mostly stayed home,” she said. “That’s just what people did.”
Today, many older adults are doing just the opposite—and research shows it may be one of the reasons they’re aging more slowly than previous generations.
Scientists say today’s seniors aren’t just living longer; they’re living healthier. Studies from around the world show many people in their 70s and even 80s have better physical and mental abilities than people of the same age just 30 years ago.
One of the most comprehensive studies comes from Finland, where researchers compared adults ages 75 and 80 who were tested between 1989 and 1990 with people the same age tested nearly three decades later using the exact same methods.
The newer generation consistently performed better.
Researchers found they walked faster, had stronger grip strength and stronger leg muscles, reacted more quickly and scored higher on tests measuring memory, reasoning and verbal fluency. In short, today’s older adults entered their later years stronger and sharper than those who came before them.
Researchers believe the improvements are the result of several lifelong advantages, including better nutrition, increased physical activity, advances in health care, improved education, healthier workplaces and better overall living conditions.
The findings challenge the old idea that growing older automatically means slowing down.
Researchers say the difference between chronological age—the number of birthdays you’ve celebrated—and biological age—how well your body is actually functioning—has become increasingly important. Two people who are both 70 years old can have dramatically different levels of health depending on how they’ve lived.
Lee appears to be a good example.
She says tennis gives her far more than exercise. It gives her a reason to improve, friends to spend time with, goals to pursue and the motivation to stay in shape so she can continue competing. .
“I love the competition,” she said.
Whether it’s learning a new strategy, improving a shot or preparing for the next match, the game continually challenges her both physically and mentally.
Experts say that’s exactly the kind of lifestyle that helps people age well.
Regular physical activity helps preserve muscle strength, balance and mobility. Learning new skills and solving problems keeps the brain engaged, while friendships built around hobbies and activities reduce social isolation—another important factor linked to healthy aging.
Her husband, Alex Lee, 72, shares that passion. A top-level amateur player, he coaches the Friends University men’s tennis team and serves on the United States Tennis Association’s Missouri Valley Region board. Together, the couple has built a lifestyle centered around movement, learning and community.
Researchers say those three ingredients consistently appear in studies of healthy aging.
Modern medicine has also changed what growing older looks like. Today’s seniors benefit from better treatments for high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, along with joint replacements, cataract surgery, improved hearing aids and medications that help people remain active longer.
Just as important, scientists have learned the brain continues to adapt throughout life. A concept known as neuroplasticity shows that older adults can continue learning new skills, forming new memories and strengthening brain connections well into their later years.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is that many studies find older adults become happier with age.
Social psychologist Katharine Esty, who interviewed more than 150 people in their 70s, 80s and 90s, found many reported greater contentment despite the challenges of aging. They focused less on careers and possessions and more on relationships, gratitude and enjoying everyday moments.
Researchers sometimes call this the “paradox of aging.” Even as some physical abilities decline, emotional well-being often improves.
Lee sees another difference.
Among her six surviving siblings, she is the only one who remains highly active. Most of the others struggle with health problems.
She doesn’t claim tennis is a cure-all.
But she believes staying active—and having something she genuinely enjoys doing—has made a tremendous difference.
Researchers agree.
Their message isn’t that everyone should become a competitive tennis player. It’s that successful aging often starts with having a reason to stay engaged.
Whether it’s tennis, pickleball, dancing, gardening, volunteering, walking with friends or learning something new, experts say finding an activity that keeps both the body and mind moving may be one of the best investments people can make in their future health.
Growing older, they say, doesn’t have to mean giving up the things you love.
For many Americans, it increasingly means having more healthy years in which to enjoy them.
EXTRA! EXTRA!
She Didn’t Pick Up a Tennis Racket Until 50
Bobbie Lee spent years watching tennis from the sidelines.
Her husband, Alex, had been playing since college, where he earned a tennis scholarship. The couple introduced their son, Jermaine, to the sport, and Bobbie often stayed home while Alex and Jermaine headed to tournaments.
That changed when she started traveling with them.
Watching women compete, she had a simple thought: “That doesn’t look so hard.”
So, just before turning 50, she picked up a racket herself.
Twenty years later, tennis has become one of the biggest reasons she stays healthy, active and socially connected. She loves the competition, enjoys improving her game and says the sport has given her friendships as well as fitness.
Perhaps even more important, tennis has become something she and Alex share. They practice together, travel to tournaments together, cheer each other on and have built much of their life around the game.
For people who think they’ve missed their chance to become active, Lee hopes her story says otherwise.
“You don’t have to start when you’re young,” she said. “You just have to start.”
Today, as she approaches her 70th birthday, she’s grateful she did.
