>>>
this morning on "
forever young
," preparing for old age. studies suggest that understanding how we age can greatly improve longevity. now there is a way for you to experience what it feels like to be a lot older. nbc's
peter alexander
got his own personal glimpse into the future. peter, how did it look?
>>
matt, i have new respect for you.
>>
that's not nice.
>>
just kidding.
>>
statistics here are staggering. in the u.s. alone, 10,000
baby boomers
are turning 65 every single day. of course, they're going to have to adapt, but so do the rest of us. and now there's a new team of researchers trying to help. as i get old i'mluti i'm losing my hair
>> reporter:
you've heard it said before, you're not getting older, you're getting better. at least that's what we like to believe. but the fact is, no one likes getting old.
>>
think it's funny being old? my whole body is falling apart.
>> reporter:
in the next two decades, roughly 72 million americans, one fifth of the population, will be 65 or older.
>>
shift and click.
>> reporter:
dr.
joe
coughlin
and his team of engineer's at
m.i.t.
's age lab are planning ahead.
>>
when we think about an older population, we think of our grandparents and more of them. but we're different. and we're not just older, but we're going to expect more.
>> reporter:
the first challenge, to understand what
aging
feels like.
research associate
katie godfrey outfitted me in an outfit called an age game now empathy system, a specially designed suit to transform someone, say a 34-year-old correspondent like me, into a 70-year-old. a harness and tight bands restrict movements.
rubber gloves
weaken your grip.
>>
step in.
>> reporter:
padded shoes throw off your balance. along with a
neck brace
and tethered helmet, to create
spinal compression
. and to top it off, goggles to blur your vision.
>>
there is nothing pleasant about
aging
.
>> reporter:
the effect, what doctor
coughlin
calls the three fs. friction, frustration -- and fatigue.
>>
i'm just going to sit.
>> reporter:
the purpose of all this, to simulate what it's like for a senior to navigate daily activities, like grocery shopping.
>>
if it's not right in front of me, it's almost not worth it. up here is exhausting. of down there, i fear tumbling over.
>> reporter:
driving a car --
>>
whoa, whoa, whoa. it was groeen i thought i was going to hit that guy.
>> reporter:
and the simple joy of baking cupcakes.
>>
yeah, can't get it open. it's not easy to take this off. this is not going to be a good cupcake.
>> reporter:
m.i.t.
's goal, to help businesses reinvent products and services for an
aging population
. it's a strategy already being embraced by stores like walgreens, with lower shelves now making items easier to reach, and bold signs labelling each aisle. after an exhausting afternoon, as ago necessary --
>>
i'll get the door for you, agnes --
>>
age before beauty
.
>> reporter:
i had a greater appreciation for a very special senior.
>>
pretty good, right?
>> reporter:
meet my grandma. as she would probably tell you, she is 93 and 4 months and still
going strong
. with plenty of good advice for the rest of us.
>>
don't groene and complain. nobody wants to hear you. and just expect everything to work out.
>> reporter:
love that grandma faye. she had great advice, but what i really liked was her strategy if she has trouble reaching down to pick something up off a store shelf, she waits for a younger male to come around and ask for help. so
natalie
can hold on to that.
>>
joe
coughlin
is the director of
m.i.t.
's age lab,
joe
resnick from pittsburgh
medical center
. and
natalie
is testing out the suit. foo
natalie
, good morning. gentlemen, good morning. who are you building these for? ceos of companies to try these?
>>
this is a tool we developed to help companies and governments better understand how to redesign transportation, devices, the house, everything you do every day.
>>
so you're going to make a bunch of these suits, you're hoping that
corporate america
or corporations around the world, they embrace these things, and it allows them to see things in a different way.
>>
there is a new business of old age. we are expecting far more, they expect new and better.
>>
by the way, you mentioned business. by selling these suits, is this a business unto itself?
>>
i don't think so. i think what's important to know about
aging
is that it's not something that starts when you're 65 or 70. it starts when you're 30. we grow and develop until we're 30, and
aging
starts right then. the good news is, we have about four or five times more capacity than we need at 30. and we lose about 1% a year. so by 80, we've lost half. but we still have twice more than capacity than we need to function. and
aging
, therefore, has a lot of good things that -- i'm glad you emphasized your grandmother.
>>
you have had this suit on for how long now?
>>
a good 40 minutes.
>>
the first thing you noticed when you put the whole suit on was what?
>>
completely restricted. i mean, there's a pelvic harness which is strapped to these bands, so i don't have mobility like i normally would. and i'm completely off balance, because i have pads under the shoes, so everything is off center, off balance. and i can't do what i normally do.
>>
let's try a couple of simple tasks. the simple thing of getting out of a chair, okay, which is fairly a low chair, which a lot of seniors have are trouble with.
>>
and all right already, i feel to get out is the restrained motion. i don't have that -- i can't just pop out of the chair.
>>
okay. can you sit down easily?
>>
yeah --
>>
slowly --
>>
it's much slower.
>>
we're going to try and pour the milk into the cereal, and have a little of the cereal.
>>
all thumbs, because i have two layers of
latex gloves
on.
>>
and that is to simulate --
>>
well, naltsly, what you might be feeling, we want you to get that ah-ha moment to feel that little bit of friction tod do the things you do every day.
>>
yeah, i feel the friction. and it's also -- i feel all -- like my joints are completely compressed. and --
>>
well, imagine now you're pouring milk and
sitting still
.
>>
and i can't see.
>>
the
u.s. department of transportation
using
public transit
, walking across the street.
>>
not easy.
>>
can i emphasize, this is not inevitable. this is -- this is
subject to change
in the way that you live and the way that you age. and this is not inevitable. and it's important for people to understand that.
>>
yeah, the idea is that
aging
is a marathon, not a one-time activity, so work on well-being at a young age.
>>
clearly -- that's not cereal, that's potpourri, actually.
>>
this is the hardest part, i would say, is
bending over
and reaching for smaller objects. and here it requires more effort. it seems like such a simple motion, but everything, your tactile awareness, all of your senses are completely thrown off.
>>
but again, in agnes, that letter that jumps out to me most is e for empathy. you want people to understand what this is about.
>>
this is a tool for business, government, and for all of us to understand what
aging
is about, and how we can plan for tomorrow.
>>
guys, thank you. really appreciate it. fascinating stuff. you can get out of this.
>>
the
positive part
is great, and what she said, in her 90s is what normal
aging
is. in the absence of disease. it's important to remember.
>>
all right. guys, again, thank
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