Stronger Longer Library Guide #004

The Stronger Longer Library is a collection of evidence-based guides created to help adults 45+ build the strength, confidence, balance, and resilience needed to remain active, independent, and healthy throughout life. Every article combines current research with practical, real-world strategies you can use to move better, feel stronger, and continue doing the things you need, want, and love for years to come.

By Jackie Bachmeier, FAS, IMS

Generational Wealth

The Richness of a Life Shared Across Generations

One of the most valuable things we can pass between generations isn't financial at all. It's the opportunity to remain present, connected and actively involved in one another's lives.

A Different Way to Think About Wealth

When we hear the words generational wealth, we usually think about money.

Property. Investments. Businesses. An inheritance. Something accumulated during one lifetime that can provide opportunity for the generations that follow.

But lately, I've been thinking about another kind of generational wealth.

What if one of the greatest forms of wealth is simply having meaningful relationships across generations, and having the health and capacity to participate in them?

That may mean children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. But it doesn't have to.

It can be nieces and nephews. Great nieces and nephews. Younger friends. Neighbors. People in your community. Someone you've mentored. People whose lives are different because you've been part of them.

The wealth isn't simply having those people nearby.

The wealth is being part of one another's lives.

And that's where this becomes a conversation about healthspan.

Because living longer gives us more years.

Healthspan helps determine what we're able to do with them.

A Conversation With My Aunt

My aunt recently turned 85.

Two years ago, she made a significant move from North Dakota to Texas to live with her daughter and son-in-law. Her grandchildren and great grandchildren are nearby.

On paper, you might look at her situation and think she has exactly what so many people hope for as they get older: family close by and multiple generations within reach.

But during a recent conversation, she told us something that stayed with me.

She said the person she has been for the past two years isn't really the person she was before she moved.

She has become more isolated.

Despite living with family and having grandchildren and great grandchildren nearby, she hasn't really participated in their lives as much as she could have.

I told her something that I don't think I'd ever said quite this way before:

"You have generational wealth."

Not financial wealth.

You have a daughter. Grandchildren. Great grandchildren. You have generations of people close enough to have dinner with, celebrate birthdays with, laugh with, listen to, teach and learn from.

You have the opportunity to know the people they are becoming.

And they have the opportunity to know you.

That's wealth.

But having access to that wealth and actually participating in it aren't necessarily the same thing.

When Our World Begins to Shrink

I've watched another version of this happen with my dad.

His world has become very small.

As he's lost confidence in his body and, to some degree, his cognition, staying in his apartment and watching television has become easier than getting out.

And the less he gets out, the smaller his world becomes.

I don't share that to criticize him. In fact, watching it happen has made me think much more deeply about what can happen as we age.

Leaving the house requires something.

Going to dinner requires something.

Walking across an unfamiliar parking lot requires something.

Traveling requires something.

Keeping up with a family gathering requires something.

Sometimes simply saying, "Yes, I'll go," requires confidence.

When our strength, balance, endurance, mobility or confidence begin to change, the impact isn't limited to our physical abilities.

It can begin changing the size of our lives.

That's why I believe we need to think differently about physical capacity.

Strength isn't only physical. It can be social.

So can balance.

So can endurance.

So can mobility.

The ability to move through the world confidently helps us continue participating in it.

A Surprisingly Good Example From Landman

Sometimes popular culture gives us a picture of something we've been trying to explain.

If you've watched Taylor Sheridan's Landman, you've seen Angela and Ainsley begin spending time with residents of a retirement community.

In typical Landman fashion, their approach isn't exactly subtle.

But underneath the humor is something meaningful.

They show up.

They bring activity, conversation, energy and anticipation into an environment where many people's worlds have become much smaller.

Later, we meet Tommy's aging father, T.L., who has been living in assisted living. Angela ultimately pushes Tommy to bring his father home.

That doesn't suddenly erase years of complicated family history.

But something changes.

T.L. moves from living largely outside the everyday rhythm of his family to being right in the middle of it.

Meals. Conversations. Chaos. Younger people. Stories. Arguments. Laughter.

He's not simply being cared for.

He's participating.

And perhaps just as importantly, his family begins receiving something from him, too.

His experiences. His perspective. His history. His hard-earned wisdom.

That's what makes the storyline so relevant to this conversation.

Generational relationships aren't valuable only because younger people can help older people.

The wealth flows both ways.

Generational Wealth Doesn't Require Grandchildren

I want to make an important distinction here.

Not everyone has children.

Not everyone lives close to their children.

Some families are estranged. Some have experienced loss. Some people have intentionally built lives that look very different from the traditional family structure.

That doesn't mean they don't have access to generational wealth.

I have clients whose lives demonstrate this beautifully.

One is a single woman without children of her own who has an incredibly close relationship with her niece and her great nieces and nephews.

Those relationships count.

In fact, they are exactly what I'm talking about.

Generational wealth can exist anywhere meaningful relationships cross generations.

A niece can receive stories from an aunt.

A teenager can learn from a neighbor.

A younger colleague can benefit from a mentor.

An older adult can gain energy and perspective from spending time with people decades younger.

A great nephew can know family history because someone took the time to tell him.

And sometimes an older adult simply gets reminded that the world is still changing, interesting and worth participating in.

We don't have to share DNA to enrich one another's lives.

What the Research Tells Us

There is a substantial body of research showing that social connection is not merely something that makes life more enjoyable. It is associated with our physical health, cognitive health and longevity.

The National Institute on Aging reports that loneliness and social isolation in older adults are associated with increased risks for heart disease, depression and cognitive decline.

Importantly, isolation and loneliness are not the same thing.

A person can live alone and remain deeply connected, while someone surrounded by other people can still feel isolated.

That distinction matters.

Proximity is not the same as participation.

Research also suggests that the relationship between health and social connection can work in both directions.

Changes in mobility, hearing, vision, memory and health can make it harder to stay connected. At the same time, social isolation can be associated with behaviors and health outcomes that make maintaining physical and cognitive health more difficult.

There is also emerging research examining relationships across generations.

A systematic review of randomized trials involving intergenerational programs looked at activities that intentionally brought older and younger people together. Researchers examined outcomes including well-being, life satisfaction, sense of purpose, social interaction and sense of community.

The findings are promising, although researchers also concluded that more high-quality research is needed before we make sweeping claims about exactly which intergenerational programs work best.

That's an important distinction.

We don't need to claim that spending time with your grandchildren is a prescription for longevity.

The evidence supports a much more reasonable conclusion:

Meaningful social connection is an important component of healthy aging, and relationships across generations can be one valuable way of creating it.

Healthspan Creates Access

This is where I believe the conversation gets even bigger.

We spend decades preparing financially for retirement.

We contribute to retirement accounts. We pay off homes. We invest. We buy insurance. We meet with financial planners.

Why?

Because we have an idea of what we want those later years to look like.

Maybe you want to travel.

Maybe you want to spend summers with grandchildren.

Maybe you want to volunteer.

Maybe you want to garden, golf, hike, attend sporting events or keep going to concerts.

Maybe you simply want to say yes when someone calls and asks you to meet for dinner.

But almost every vision we have for retirement quietly assumes something:

That our bodies will still allow us to participate.

That's why healthspan matters.

It's why we talk so much at EFW about strength, balance, mobility, cardiovascular capacity, nutrition, sleep and maintaining muscle.

Not because we're trying to avoid aging.

We're trying to remain capable as we age.

The squat we practice today isn't simply about improving a squat.

It may help preserve the ability to get out of a restaurant chair at 75.

The balance work isn't simply about a balance score.

It may help someone feel confident walking across the grass at a grandchild's graduation.

The strength work isn't simply about lifting heavier weights.

It may help someone carry luggage through an airport, pick up a great grandchild or continue living in a home where family gathers.

The cardiovascular work isn't simply about improving endurance.

It may determine whether a full day with family feels exciting or exhausting.

We're not training simply to add years to our lives.

We're training so we can continue showing up for them.

The Wealth Flows Both Ways

There is another side of generational wealth that I think we sometimes miss.

We often talk about older adults needing connection.

We talk about making sure Mom gets out of the house.

Checking on Dad.

Taking Grandma to lunch.

Those things matter.

But that framing can unintentionally make the older person sound like the recipient of everyone else's generosity.

That's not generational wealth.

Wealth has value.

And the older generations have enormous value to contribute.

Stories.

Perspective.

Family history.

Traditions.

Experience.

Mistakes.

Lessons.

Patience.

Time.

Wisdom.

Sometimes younger generations need someone who remembers where they came from.

Sometimes they need someone who has already lived through something they think no one else could possibly understand.

Sometimes a child simply needs another adult who thinks they're wonderful.

When generations become disconnected, everyone loses something.

Which means protecting our healthspan isn't only about maintaining independence.

It's also about maintaining our ability to contribute.

What This Means for You: Build Your Generational Wealth

You don't need to wait until you're 80 to think about whether your world is growing or shrinking.

Like financial wealth, this kind of wealth can be built through small investments made consistently over time.

1. Identify the generations already in your life.

Think beyond children and grandchildren.

Who is 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years older or younger than you?

It might be a niece, nephew, neighbor, friend, coworker, former colleague, someone at church or someone you know through your community.

Then ask yourself:

Am I actively participating in these relationships, or are these simply people I know?

You don't need dozens of relationships. Start by recognizing the meaningful ones already available to you.

2. Put connection on the calendar.

We schedule dentist appointments.

We schedule haircuts.

We schedule workouts.

We schedule meetings.

But sometimes we leave relationships to chance.

Don't rely entirely on holidays and major family gatherings.

Create something repeatable.

A monthly lunch with your niece.

Wednesday dinner with the grandkids.

A standing phone call with an older relative.

A regular coffee with a younger friend.

Volunteering somewhere that brings you into contact with people outside your own age group.

Small, regular interactions can create opportunities for relationships to deepen over time.

3. Notice what your body is causing you to say no to.

This one matters.

Have you stopped going somewhere because the walk from the parking lot feels too long?

Do you avoid the bleachers because stairs are difficult?

Are you turning down travel because you're worried about keeping up?

Have you stopped getting on the floor with the kids because you're not confident you'll get back up?

Does an entire afternoon with family leave you exhausted?

Those aren't simply inconveniences.

They're clues.

They tell you which physical abilities may be limiting your participation and what may be worth working on now.

4. Train for participation, not simply exercise.

Give your workouts a real-life purpose.

If you want to travel with family, build walking endurance and practice carrying things.

If getting down on the floor matters, practice getting down and getting back up.

If you want to attend outdoor events, work on balance, uneven surfaces and stamina.

If a full day with the grandkids wipes you out, improving strength and cardiovascular capacity may help.

If stairs have started changing where you're willing to go, that's information worth paying attention to.

Ask yourself:

What do I want to keep saying yes to?

Then make sure some part of your training prepares you to do it.

That's training for healthspan.

5. Contribute something.

Generational wealth isn't only about receiving connection.

Teach the recipe.

Tell the story.

Take the younger person to lunch.

Show someone how to do something you know how to do.

Ask about their world.

Mentor.

Volunteer.

Listen.

And don't underestimate what you have to offer simply because the world around you is changing.

Your experience has value.

Share it.

Three Things I Wish Everyone Knew

1. Being around people isn't the same as being connected to them.

You can live with family and still become isolated.

You can live alone and have a wonderfully connected life.

Connection requires participation.

And participation requires some effort from all of us.

Don't always wait for someone else to make the invitation.

2. Physical capacity can influence the size of your world.

When walking becomes difficult, balance feels uncertain, endurance drops or getting out of a chair becomes challenging, we don't only lose physical ability.

We may begin changing our lives around those limitations.

We decline the invitation.

Skip the outing.

Avoid the stairs.

Stop traveling.

Stay home because it's easier.

That is one reason maintaining strength, balance, mobility and endurance matters so much.

Train for the life you want to keep living.

3. You have something worth passing on that has nothing to do with money.

Your stories matter.

Your experience matters.

Your presence matters.

Your traditions, recipes, mistakes, lessons and memories matter.

Someone younger than you may be richer because they got to know you.

And you may be richer because you took the time to know them.

Your Stronger Longer Challenge

This week, make two small investments in your generational wealth.

First, reach across a generation.

Call someone. Invite someone to lunch. Schedule the visit. Send the text. Ask the question. Volunteer. Make a plan rather than simply thinking, We should get together sometime.

Second, identify one physical ability that helps you participate in the life you want to keep living.

Maybe it's walking farther.

Getting stronger.

Climbing stairs.

Improving your balance.

Getting down to the floor and back up.

Building enough endurance to enjoy an entire day instead of merely getting through it.

Then ask yourself:

Am I doing something today to protect that ability for tomorrow?

That's a healthspan investment.

And like most investments, the earlier we begin making it, the more opportunity we give it to grow.

Maybe This Is Generational Wealth

Financial wealth asks:

What will I leave behind?

Maybe healthspan asks another question:

How fully can I participate while I'm still here?

For me, that's becoming an increasingly important definition of a life well lived.

To remain strong enough to show up.

Curious enough to keep learning.

Healthy enough to participate.

Connected enough to belong.

And engaged enough to continue contributing something to the generations around us.

Because perhaps one of the greatest measures of longevity isn't simply how many generations come after us.

It's how many generations we get to share our lives with, and how fully we're able to be part of theirs.

That's generational wealth.

And that's a kind of wealth worth protecting.

Selected References

National Institute on Aging.Loneliness and Social Isolation: Tips for Staying Connected. Information on the relationship between social isolation, loneliness, physical health, cognitive health and healthy aging.

National Institute on Aging.What Do We Know About Healthy Aging? Overview of evidence related to social activity, physical activity, cognitive health and well-being in older adults.

Campbell Systematic Reviews.What is the effect of intergenerational activities on the wellbeing and mental health of older people? A systematic review. Review of randomized controlled trials examining intergenerational programs and outcomes including well-being, purpose, life satisfaction and social interaction.

About the Author

Jackie Bachmeier is co-owner of Evolution Fitness & Wellness, a healthspan + longevity gym serving adults 45 and better. She is co-author of Stronger Longer: The Authoritative Guide to Aging Actively and Optimal Longevity: A Plan for Remaining Stronger Longer. Jackie and the EFW coaching team help adults build the strength, confidence and physical capacity to continue doing the things that make their lives meaningful.

The Stronger Longer Promise

At Evolution Fitness & Wellness, we believe growing older should never mean giving up the life you love.

Through evidence-based education, purposeful movement, and a supportive community, our mission is to help adults build the strength, confidence, and resilience to keep exploring, traveling, playing, working, and living life on their own terms.

Because Stronger Longer isn't just how you train, it's how you live.