Authors of ‘SuperAging’ release workbook outlining seven steps to healthier later life
David Cravit and Larry Wolf, both in their 80s and co-founders of SuperAgingNews.com, publish an interactive guide that emphasizes attitude as the foundation of vitality after 65.
David Cravit and Larry Wolf, co-founders of the web magazine and newsletter SuperAgingNews.com, have published a workbook intended to help people over 65 apply seven principles they say support healthier, more engaged aging.
The SuperAging Workbook, released Tuesday, follows the authors’ 2023 book SuperAging: Getting Older Without Getting Old, which became a category bestseller on Amazon. The workbook adds prompts, exercises, quizzes and worksheets designed to turn the seven “A” concepts — attitude, awareness, activity, autonomy, accomplishment, attachment and avoidance — into concrete actions, the authors said.
The authors say the first of the seven, attitude, "serves as the foundation for all the others." They argue that a positive outlook and a concrete vision of the future can motivate older adults to pursue health-promoting behaviors and maintain engagement with life. Cravit and Wolf noted that a cheerful demeanor does not require denial of real health or mobility problems, but rather a willingness to act and to find new possibilities.
Awareness, the second A, stresses deliberate information gathering and critical evaluation. The authors said the constant stream of health headlines and shifting medical guidance makes it important to seek reliable sources and explore new channels, including social media, to learn about treatments, products and services that may improve quality of life.
Activity encompasses both physical exercise and mental stimulation. The workbook encourages readers to try new forms of movement or learning, adapt activities when physical limitations arise, and adopt routines that strengthen body and brain. The authors cite research linking active engagement to lower risk of dementia and chronic disease, while also noting the social and psychological benefits of learning new skills.
Autonomy refers to maintaining independence in daily living and financial control, including staying in one’s home and community where possible. Accomplishment highlights continued goal-setting and achievement through paid work, volunteering or relationship-building, which the authors say keeps minds sharp and provides purpose.
Attachment addresses the health risks tied to loneliness and social isolation. Cravit and Wolf advise cultivating existing relationships and forming new ones as a core element of long-term health. Avoidance calls for proactive risk reduction, such as guarding against ageism in the marketplace, fraud and scams, while still remaining open to new opportunities.
The workbook format is intended to make the program actionable: readers encounter interactive tools meant to help them assess their current practices, set goals and track progress. Cravit and Wolf said many readers and their publisher requested a workbook because it could help people "more readily master the system." They continue to update their audience through their website and newsletter and to monitor new research and trends in longevity.
The authors offer a practical example of adaptation: Wolf, once an avid skier, tennis player and cyclist, developed an eye problem that limited those activities but later took up golf and tai chi, demonstrating how modifying pursuits can preserve fitness and engagement. The workbook encourages similar adjustments, emphasizing that activities can be modified or replaced to align with changing abilities.
Experts in aging and public health note that interventions targeting social connection, physical activity and cognitive engagement are associated with better outcomes for older adults, though individual results vary. Cravit and Wolf present their seven A’s as a framework for individuals to apply such evidence-based concepts to their own lives.
The SuperAging Workbook joins a growing market of guides aimed at helping older adults extend healthspan, not just lifespan, by combining behavioral strategies with current findings from medical research. The authors said the "longevity revolution" — new discoveries, techniques and trends — continues to inform their work and that they aim to bring those developments to a wider audience.
The workbook is published by Flashpoint Books and is available in retail and online outlets.