Active Aging

Aging well and continuing to be active are often regarded as the goals in life, from individual, family, community, and population perspectives. This implies good health and physical fitness, good cognitive and positive emotional-motivational functioning, and social participation and engagement. Increasing life expectancy by means of biomedical advances is not on its own enough, however. Research shows that an individual’s psychological condition contributes to their quality of life and well-being in old age – and that behavioral and psychological interventions can also prevent illness, improve cognitive and physical fitness, and increase positive emotional functioning and social participation. This book shows how psychologists and psychological science as a whole can face the challenge of promoting optimal and active aging in a society that is growing ever older.