Back in the Sixties, the mantra of America’s hippies was not to trust anyone over 30. Now that the hippie generation is approaching their 80s, how did their counterculture lifestyle affect their aging process?

Ben-Gurion University Prof. Galit Nimrod went to a community originally founded as a commune and studied present and former members.

She discovered that many of them continue a strong commitment to healthful habits and diets, and to meaningful, active social engagement. Some of these characteristics can provide clues to wellbeing in longevity, she says.

“The more we know about aging and aging well, the more we can be prepared to face these challenges,” says Nimrod, a research fellow in the Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Aging.