5 Lessons on Healthy Aging From AARP’s CEO

Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan shares her take on how to make the most of America’s longevity boom

Molly Snow,

AARP

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Published December 02, 2025

two people speaking on a stage at an event

Courtesy The Washington Post

More and more older adults are living longer. But are they living better?

In the U.S., there’s a nearly 13-year gap between lifespan and “healthspan,” or the years we live in good, vital health. Longevity alone doesn’t tell the full story when it comes to aging. Quality of life during those years matters just as much, if not more.

So what can help close the gap?

That’s the question AARP’s CEO, Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, dove into recently at The Washington Post’s Global Women’s Summit.

“If you’re over 50, you have the second half of your life to do so much,” she said during the Nov. 20 event. “When we think about what it means to live to 100, we have to think about health, wealth and self.”

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Health, Minter-Jordan says, goes far beyond conversations at the doctor’s office. True wellness in our later years encompasses financial security, emotional well-being and social connection.

As people age, these areas of well-being evolve. For many people 50-plus, barriers to accessing nutritious food, health care, safe housing and employment make overall health increasingly difficult to achieve.

These issues are likely to become more acute. Within the decade, for the first time in American history there will be more people over 65 than under 18.

But this doesn’t represent a crisis. It is an opportunity, Minter-Jordan said. And it’s one we can prepare ourselves, our loved ones and our communities for, she added.

Thanks to advances in technology, strong advocacy on important issues and a better collective understanding of aging, there are five lessons Minter-Jordan encourages people to learn and adopt to age well.

1. Recharge your mind — daily

Minter-Jordan, 53, begins each day with meditation. It’s a way of setting aside time intentionally to find peace, rest and positivity.

It’s so important, in fact, that she puts it in her calendar like any other meeting.

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“I’m a better mother, I’m a better wife, I’m a better leader when I can do those things for myself and start my day off in that way,” Minter-Jordan said. “It’s something that we all just have to find the space for. No one will give us ... the time to do this unless we take it for ourselves, quite frankly.”

Studies have shown that mindfulness can improve cognition, lower blood pressure, stave off anxiety and depression, aid digestion and even support immune function. It speaks to the mind-body connection that links the way we think with how we feel and how our body functions.

Whether it’s a short walk through nature, a few deep breaths, a moment to journal or even some guided yoga or meditation, making the commitment to yourself to find time for reflection should be given priority in your routine, Minter-Jordan said.

2. Find time for movement every day

Exercise is another thing you’ll never see Minter-Jordan skipping. “I begin every day with a great workout,” she said.

Whether it’s cycling, lifting weights or doing yoga, making time for movement plays into a holistic approach to health that Minter-Jordan, a physician, knows is beneficial to the body and mind.

“I believe that our personal wellness is something that we are completely in charge of,” she said. “Making that commitment is hard to do, but we have to do it.”

Whether you choose to work out with someone or alone (as Minter-Jordan often does), think of it as a form of self-care instead of a chore.

It can be just minutes a day. A 2022 study in the journal Nature Medicine found that people ages 40 to 69 who were physically active for just one or two minutes, three times a day, significantly reduced their risk of death from heart disease or cancer.

'The Washington Post' hosts the 4th installment of the Global Women's Summit.

Courtesy The Washington Post

3. Find (and set) new goals

As a recent empty nester, Minter-Jordan is thinking about this stage of her life as an opportunity. She’s looking forward to reclaiming her time and “really understand[ing] what it is that I need and want for myself.”

For many older adults, grown children, retirement or relocation to a different community can disrupt a routine, posing big questions about what happens next.

Reexamining values, exploring passions or finding the ability to give back can make these moments of big change feel exciting instead of overwhelming. That can also come from seeking new social connections, a key to happiness among older adults, according to AARP research.

“How do we convey the message that aging is an opportunity? That aging is living and that we have this opportunity to transform the experience of aging and make it something positive?” Minter-Jordan asked. “Because for many of us, it is positive.”

4. Think beyond retirement

The way we plan for financial security has evolved over the years, Minter-Jordan said, and for the better.

“We now see people who are preparing at an earlier stage in life for their own financial resilience,” she says.

But it is not just those first days and weeks of retirement that matter. It is the decades that follow, and how fully people are able to live them.

To those thinking about their financial wellness, Minter-Jordan encourages them to consider aging not as something that just happens to you but something you can design. Invest in your healthspan, be intentional about each new chapter and consider preventative health as a financial strategy.

Older adults are also staying in the workforce longer, sometimes out of necessity to combat rising costs of living, other times to pursue a new career path or maintain a sense of purpose and camaraderie.

Regardless, ensuring a place in the workforce for adults 50-plus is good for the individual and for the collective. That’s why AARP is fighting age discrimination and investing in resources to support older adults in the job market.

5. Support, community transform aging experiences

Two in five solo agers in an AARP survey said loneliness and isolation were the worst parts of aging alone. That’s why having support from family, friends or community is so important as we age.

It’s a fact AARP has known for a long time, and through support networks for 63 million family caregivers, social groups for women and events across the country, we’re fighting to combat isolation and bring resources directly into communities.

“We're having different conversations about what it means to age,” Minter-Jordan said.

These conversations then inform policy and drive change on Capitol Hill, bringing together collective experiences to shape a future where older adults are at the center.

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Molly Snow is a writer for AARP covering advocacy issues and state news. She also writes AARP's Today's Tips podcast. She previously worked at other news outlets, including Federal Times, McClatchy and Gannett.