This is the surprising age Americans would want to relive

Even though everyone you know in their 20s wants to die, the popular understanding swears that they’re at the peak of physical and emotional existence. If a new One Poll report is any indication, Americans are beginning to disagree with that declaration.

In their survey of 2,000 participants, 40% of the sample said that they would not relive their 20’s even if they could. And when asked about an age that they would return to, the majority cited 36.

This response is even more surprising when you learn that a comparable majority of those surveyed in the same analysis (59%) confessed that they were “obsessed with fighting the aging process” at some point or another. An additional 56% described  Mother Nature as “exhausting.”

It wasn’t just a frame of mind that dictated how participants perceived getting older. More than half of the 41% of respondents who said that they actively embrace the aging process were confident that they look five years younger and feel six-year younger.

The very same listed reasons as to why this may be. Eating right, exercising, and drinking water were cited with the most frequency. Vitamins and supplements were also brought up here and there (42%).

“You don’t need to stick to a vegan or vegetarian diet to reap the health benefits. Focusing on getting the majority of your calories from plant foods without excluding animal products completely will have a positive impact on your health. Some nutrients like EPA and DHA are best obtained from fish, seafood, and eggs,”  Sergey Young, founder of the Longevity Vision Fund, recently explained to Ladders

“Habits common among areas where people live the longest include a reduced calorie intake and fasting and a 25-year study in monkeys found that eating 30% fewer calories than normal led to a significantly longer life and less age-related diseases. Even if your calorie requirements are higher, you’re still able to get enough from other calorie-dense foods like sweet potatoes, nuts, and oils.”

Some of the respondents queried in One Poll’s survey felt that quarantine provided them with the time they needed to reinterpret certain elements of their life. More discreetly, 53%said that the COVID-19 pandemic aged their mentality for the better. 

 Fifty-seven percent of respondents characterized it as “a wake-up call for them to realize that aging is a good thing and to embrace the journey.”

Another 60% of the survey sample said that they are committed to striving toward feeling younger as opposed to looking younger. 

“Based on my experience as a gynecologist, one of the most effective ways to age gracefully begins with attitude,” Dr. Alyssa Dweck, MS, MD, FACOG and medical advisor to ChromaDex explained in a media release. “A positive attitude and proactive approach leads to purposeful health and lifestyle choices for optimal aging.”