Happier people maintain better physical function as they age

A new study has revealed that people who enjoy life maintain better physical function in daily activities and keep up faster walking speeds as they age, compared with people who enjoy life less.

A study of 3199 men and women aged 60 years or over living in England looked at the link between positive well-being and physical well-being, following participants over 8 years.

Researchers Dr. Andrew Steptoe said the study showed that older people who are happier and enjoy life more show slower declines in physical function as they age.

"They are less likely to develop impairments in activities of daily living such as dressing or getting in or out of bed, and their walking speed declines at a slower rate than those who enjoy life less," Steptoe added.

It was found that participants in the 60-69-year bracket had higher levels of well-being as did those with higher socioeconomic status and education and those who were married and working.

Not surprisingly, people with chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, stroke and depression had lower levels of enjoyment of life.

People with low well-being were more than three times as likely as their positive counterparts to develop problems in their daily physical activities.

The study was published in Canadian Medical Association Journal.