I Wore a Suit That Made Me Feel Like I Was 80

Key Concepts:

Age simulation suit, muscle loss replication, vision impairment, balance impairment, cognitive load, proactive skill retention, training for retention.

Experience with the Age Simulation Suit

The speaker spent a day wearing an age simulation suit developed at MIT's AgeLab to understand the challenges of aging. The suit included:

• Weights: To simulate muscle loss.
• Cords: To restrict movement.
• Goggles: To impair vision.
• Shoes: To disrupt balance.

The speaker found that performing daily activities in the suit was physically demanding. Examples included:

• Supermarket: Difficulty reaching top shelves.
• Subway: Difficulty getting on and off.
• AgeLab Kitchen: Difficulty reading food labels and opening cans.

Cognitive Load and Decision-Making

The speaker emphasized the less obvious cognitive burden imposed by the suit. A specific example was provided:

• Street Crossing: With 14 seconds left on the walk sign, the speaker froze due to perceived danger and impatience from others, highlighting impaired decision-making under pressure. The speaker stated, "I'm not going to be able to walk across the street with 14 seconds left. And I just sort of stopped there and froze."

Expert Advice on Staving Off Aging Effects

The speaker consulted with researchers specializing in aging. Dr. Howard Lux advised:

• Proactive Skill Retention: "One of the best things you can do is to train for the things that you want to retain."
• Reason for Skill Loss: "One of the reasons why we lose skills is that we don't take more proactive steps to try to retain them."

Synthesis/Conclusion

The age simulation suit provided a tangible understanding of the physical and cognitive challenges associated with aging. The experience underscored the importance of proactive measures, specifically training and actively engaging in activities to maintain skills and mitigate the effects of aging. The key takeaway is that intentional effort is required to retain abilities as one ages.