Not just how many years we will live - but how we choose to live them

In partnership with Migdalei HaYam HaTichon. In the past, when a person retired from work, the social expectation was clear: slow down, rest, give up on big ambitions. The term "third age" labeled older adults as those who had already gone through everything important to go through in life. However, slowly it seems that something has changed - life expectancy has increased by about 30 years in the last century, and the time between retirement and the end of life has lengthened. In other words, life after retirement has become a significant chapter in its own right. In fact, more and more people reach these years with the ability to continue living actively and independently, with social connections and a real passion for action and fulfillment. Hence, all that is needed is an environment that will allow them to make the additional years truly good, and create for them a beneficial and supportive routine.

A study by the Stanford Center on Longevity, "The new map of life," describes the stage after retirement as a new life stage: for those who choose it, there are many opportunities to remain independent and active over time. A corollary of this is that the "new age" entails a challenge - not just extending life, but making the years in question high-quality, good, and meaningful. This is a concept that cannot remain only at a theoretical level but requires practical implementation. The gauntlet was picked up by Migdalei HaYam HaTichon, a housing network for the new age, which established a professional and research-based method that has become a structured lifestyle in all the network's homes.

No longer the "third age" - but a new life stage

The difference between the two expressions "third age" and "new age" is much more than semantics: it is a completely different worldview. Behind the "third age" lies an assumption that life is divided into three clear chapters: childhood, adulthood, old age - and that the old age stage marks the end. The "new age" assumes exactly the opposite: that retirement can be a starting point for a fascinating and active stage, the beginning of a different period. This distinction does not stem from optimism detached from reality, but relies on consistent findings of studies in Israel and the world in the field of extending good years: an active lifestyle - body, mind, society, meaning - directly affects quality of life and even life expectancy. Or in other words, biological age is a starting point, not a sentence.

Combining experts from a variety of fields, Migdalei HaYam HaTichon developed the "new age" period. The method is based on five foundations that together make up a healthy, active, and meaningful lifestyle: fitness and movement, proper nutrition, learning that leads to action, social connections, and a sense of meaning and purpose in life. In each of the foundations, scientific knowledge is translated into daily life - not as a separate initiative, but as part of a complete, measurable, and continuous routine.

A home for fitness, movement, and a healthy lifestyle

As is known, sports are much more than a pleasant activity to pass the time: it is a central tool that affects biological age. Therefore, Migdalei HaYam HaTichon chose to develop a unique operating model in collaboration with the Levinsky-Wingate Academic College. In the "POINT" fitness complexes operating in the network's homes, an innovative device is available to trainees that allows for a comprehensive check that gives a snapshot of body fat percentage, balance and posture, range of motion and flexibility, alongside other health indicators. Based on the personal report, a training program is built with individual adjustment, with close monitoring. Thanks to professional guidance and advanced equipment, it is easier to keep the body active and strong, reduce the risk of falls, and extend functional independence.

Eat, learn, connect

Maintaining proper nutrition is a daily and complex challenge. People do not change eating habits of decades just because they understand it is the right thing to do. Migdalei HaYam HaTichon's approach to this is not didactic but environmental: to design the space so that the right choice is also the convenient choice. A balanced menu and shared meals that strengthen social connections - all these create a framework that builds healthy habits more naturally.

Also in the cognitive context, there is a need to create convenient, available, and high-quality options. Learning is an engine for development, cognitive health, and social involvement. Studies show that learning creates a "cognitive reserve" and strengthens mental sharpness and brain flexibility. Enrichment also develops areas of interest and new abilities, strengthens the sense of competence and personal identity.

In this context, social connections are one of the most significant factors for health. When people are surrounded by meaningful connections, they remain active, involved, and vital over time. Therefore, Migdalei HaYam HaTichon builds the physical and social environment so that connections of various types - new and old, deep and daily - will be an integral part of daily life.

Meaning is not an idea - it is a goal

Even after retirement from work, there is a deep need to feel that we have value and that we continue to contribute and influence. Meaning is a biological-mental-social operating system, and a sense of meaning is one of the factors that most affects mental health, motivation, and quality of life. With four decades of experience and eight homes across the country - Jerusalem, Bat Yam, Savyon Junction, Ganei Tikva, Ramat HaSharon, Rehovot, Nordiya, and Kfar Saba - Migdalei HaYam HaTichon operate from a clear concept: the years after retirement are not a direct continuation of what was - but a new life stage, where one can choose how to live the coming years better. Not just to add years to life - but to add life to years.