Is 70 really the new 60? Today's older baby boomers up to a decade 'younger' in physical and mental terms than previous generations, say scientists

It sounds like the sort of platitude we might say to ourselves to pretend we're really not that old.

But scientists have found that 70 really is the new 60, with today's septuagenarians up to a decade 'younger' in physical and mental terms than previous generations.

Experts suspect that general improvements in health and education, coupled with greater awareness of diet and exercise, which may help slow the effects of ageing, could be key factors.

Researchers analysed years of data that had been collected on 14,710 over-60s in England covering both physical health – such as walking speed, sleep, breathing capacity, grip strength, hearing, vision and balance – and mental capacity, including memory, recall and psychological health.

'Our results suggest that today's 70-year-olds have the equivalent functioning to substantially younger adults in previous generations,' say the team. 'Perhaps 70 really is the new 60.'

The study, published in the journal Research Square, found that the changes were happening quickly, with someone born in 1950 being as fit at 68 as someone born in 1940 was at 62. And they found that 'improvement in cognition was even more substantial'.

They concluded that people being more youthful 'has positive implications for all of us, both as individuals and for society more broadly'.

Better healthcare may be playing a role in the improvements, including greater awareness of conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

Healthier living, such as a decline in smoking and better diets, may also have contributed, as well as reduction in infectious diseases associated with improved sanitation and other environmental improvements over the years.

'The explanations for the improvements we have observed are likely to be complex and relate to changes that have occurred over most of the past century,' say the researchers.

The team, led by John Beard at New York's Columbia University, said that 'trajectories were similar for males and females' and noted similar improvements in an equally large sample of people in China.

Their findings come after separate research found that people think old age starts later in life than they used to.

A team from Humboldt University in Berlin examined data from 14,000 people, who were asked: 'At what age would you describe someone as old?' When participants born in 1911 were 65, they said it was 71, but when those born in 1956 were 65, they put the onset of old age at 74.

Study author Markus Wettstein said this might be down to longer life expectancy and better health 'so people of a certain age who were regarded as old in the past may no longer be considered old now'.