If you can still do these 6 things in your 70s, you’re living proof age is just a number

At my Saturday farmers’ market, I watch a 74-year-old named Dee lift a crate of tomatoes like it’s a handbag.

She cracks a joke, flashes a grin, and then power-walks to her car because she’s double-booked—again.

Every time I see her, I think: some people don’t “act their age” because they’re too busy living their life.

Psychologist Laura Carstensen offers a framing I love: “More years were added to average life expectancy in the 20th century than all years added across all prior millennia of human evolution combined.”

If we’re living longer than any generation before us, the real question isn’t “How old am I?” but “What am I still able to do—and how can I keep doing it?”

Here are six abilities that, if you still have them in your 70s, tell me you’re rewriting the script on aging.

I’ll share quick self-checks and simple habits to keep each one alive.

1. Learn something new (and enjoy the struggle)

When was the last time you were a beginner on purpose?

A language app, a pottery class, switching from cash to contactless payments—if you can still take on new skills, that’s not just “cute,” it’s cognitive flexibility in action.

I felt this when I started trail running in my 40s.

The first month was a comedy of tripping over roots and arguing with my own lungs.

Then my brain and body adapted.

That same adaptation is available at 70, 75, 79.

You don’t have to master Mandarin; you just have to give your brain fresh terrain.

Try this:

• Pick one new skill per year—small is fine (ukulele, sourdough, bird identification, a new phone feature).

• Practice briefly and often (10–20 minutes).

• Keep a “learning log” where you record frustrations and tiny wins.

Self-check: If you hear yourself say “I’m just not a ___ person,” pause.

That’s a story, not a fact.

Swap it for “I haven’t practiced ___ yet.”

2. Move most days (with a little purpose)

If you can still walk briskly for 10–20 minutes, climb a flight of stairs without stopping, or carry groceries to the car in one go, you’re protecting the foundation for everything else on this list.

And the best part?

You can start today, no matter when you last laced up your shoes.

As noted by the National Institute on Aging, “Physical activity, which includes exercise, is essential for healthy aging — and it’s never too late to start.”

Try this:

• Think “movement snacks”: three 10-minute brisk walks beat one mythical perfect workout you never do.

• Add one “push” and one “pull” movement twice a week (wall push-ups; a resistance band row).

• Grease everyday gears: sit-to-stand from a chair (no hands) for 5–10 reps, heel-to-toe balance line for 30–60 seconds.

Self-check: Finish a 15-minute walk able to talk but not sing.

That’s a practical intensity target.

3. Get up and down from the floor (safely)

This one sounds simple, but it’s gold.

If you can get down to the floor and back up—using a hand or two if needed—you’re showing off strength, joint mobility, core control, and balance.

You’re also protecting independence: reaching a dropped item, playing on the rug with grandkids, stretching after gardening.

I coach this like a financial analyst coaches budgets—break it into parts.

From standing, practice a slow lunge to one knee, then both knees, then hands and knees.

Reverse it.

Cushion the floor with a mat and keep a sturdy chair nearby.

Safety first; progress second.

Try this:

• Practice “floor transfers” 3–4 times a week for 5 minutes.

• Add gentle hip hinges (think bowing) and ankle mobility circles.

• If knees are cranky, use cushions and elevate hands on a low stool.

Self-check: Can you get up from the floor with one stable point (hand or knee) instead of three?

That’s forward momentum.

4. Invest in friendships (and let people help you)

If you’re still making new friends, initiating plans, and asking for support when you need it, you’re tapping aging’s quiet superpower: social selectivity.

As we get older, we tend to prioritize emotionally meaningful connections.

That’s not withdrawing—it’s editing.

I see it at the market all the time.

The 70-somethings who flourish have a rhythm: coffee walks, book swaps, volunteering shifts, weekly phone dates.

They don’t try to keep everyone.

They keep the right ones.

Try this:

• Put a standing date on the calendar (Wednesday walks, Friday soup-and-share).

• Ask one “deeper cut” question this week: “What’s been on your mind lately?”

• Create a help circle: three people you can text for a ride, a check-in, or a laugh.

Self-check: Did you ask for help at least once this month?

Independence is healthy; isolation isn’t.

5. Prevent small problems from becoming big ones

Can you spot a wobble in your balance and start practicing?

Notice a weird knee twinge and book the check-in?

Update passwords before you get locked out?

That proactive mindset saves health, money, and time.

Or, as Benjamin Franklin put it, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Try this:

• Do a monthly “life maintenance hour”: refill meds, schedule appointments, back up photos, check smoke alarms.

• Balance drill: stand on one leg near a counter for 20–30 seconds, switch sides.

• Fall-proof your world: brighter bulbs, fewer throw rugs, non-slip bath mat, grab bars where needed.

Self-check: Do you have a simple system to track appointments and meds (paper or digital)?

Systems beat memory.

6. Keep making plans you’re excited about

If you’re still planning things—trips, gardens, reunions, classes—you’re signaling to your brain that the future is worth investing in.

That belief keeps dopamine (motivation’s fuel) flowing and nudges you to take care of today’s body so tomorrow’s plans happen.

Last spring, I over-bought tomato starts (it happens).

A woman in her early 70s next to me at the nursery grinned and said, “Plant them.

It’ll give you something to look forward to every morning.”

She was right.

Plans don’t have to be grand; they just have to be yours.

Try this:

• Keep a “next three” list: one micro plan (call an old friend), one medium plan (take a day trip), one big plan (learn pickleball, volunteer, or book a class).

• Put deposits down on joy—literally.

Buy the ticket, reserve the spot, tell a friend.

• Pair plans with prep: if you want to hike in October, start walking hills now.

Self-check: What are you looking forward to in the next 7 days?

30 days?

6 months?

Bringing it all together

None of these abilities require perfect genetics, elite fitness, or a personality transplant.

They ask for something both subtler and sturdier: tiny repetitions over time.

A few closing tips I give my clients (and myself):

Measure what matters to you. I love metrics, but we only keep the ones that serve the life we want.

Track steps if it helps.

Or track “walked with a friend,” “tried a new recipe,” “texted my sister.”

Stack habits on routines you already do. After brushing your teeth, do 10 sit-to-stands.

After making tea, practice a 30-second balance hold.

Upgrade by 5%. Too often we try to overhaul everything and quit.

Instead, nudge: a slightly faster walk, one more repetition, one more social invite this week.

Use friction wisely. Put resistance bands where you sit.

Keep your walking shoes by the door.

Hide the app that steals your morning energy.

Guard your energy like a resource. You don’t have to earn rest.

Build it in.

If you can still learn, move, get down and back up, invest in friends, act before problems balloon, and make plans that light you up—you’re not just “doing okay for your age.”

You’re proving daily that the story you write with your actions matters far more than the number on your birthday cake.

And if you’re thinking, “I’m not there yet,” great news: the door’s still wide open.

Pick the easiest line from today and practice it tomorrow.

Then the next day.

Consistency is the quiet revolution.