After 80, things are completely different from when you were in your 70s.
We face countless situations where what was possible yesterday is no longer possible today.
There are also more frequent instances of poor physical condition.
It is also easy to develop life-threatening diseases such as cancer, cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, and pneumonia.
There may be times when you lose confidence because you think, 'Is this dementia?'
Experiencing the death of a spouse or someone close to you may leave you feeling lonely or hopeless.
The great wall of birth, aging, illness, and death crashes down like a rough wave.
This book offers various hints for overcoming the huge wall before us, but ultimately, it all comes down to one conclusion.
It is an attitude toward life that accepts aging and values ​​what you can do now.
This is the standard that distinguishes between a ‘happy old age’ and an ‘unhappy old age.’
‘Happiness’ is subjective.
In other words, it depends on how you feel about it.
For example, there are people who lament aging and live their lives repeating, "I can't do this anymore, I can't do that anymore," and there are people who accept aging and live their lives cherishing, "I can still do this, I can still do that."
Which one is happier? Only the individual knows the answer, but in my clinical experience, those who live with a "I have, I have" attitude seem happier and often enjoy spending time with their family and friends.
---From the "Prologue"

If you are over 80 years old, you do not need a health checkup.
Although I am a practicing physician, I am somewhat skeptical about modern medicine.
I will explain the detailed reason later, but in short, it is because I think many doctors 'only look at numbers and do not see patients.'
A typical example is a health checkup.
(Omitted) Since most companies conduct regular health checkups, in the past, the proportion of men receiving health checkups was overwhelmingly higher.
If health checkups lead to longer lifespans, the life expectancy of men and women would have been reversed, but instead, the gap between men and women has widened.
In conclusion, this means that health checkups were not very meaningful.
Of course, health checkups can also help detect cancer early.
Some people may save their lives through screening (although others may actually become ill).
However, there is room for doubt as to whether the 'normal values' that serve as the standard for health checkups are 'truly normal'.
Because what is normal varies from person to person.

---From "Chapter 1: Beyond the Walls of Doctors, Medicine, and Hospitals"

I believe that after the age of 80, the path to happiness is to embrace aging rather than fight it.
As discussed earlier, autopsies of people who died after the age of 85 often reveal cancer in the body, Alzheimer's disease-type lesions in the brain, and arteriosclerosis in the blood vessels.
However, there are many people who did not know this fact during their lifetime.
As we age, we cannot help but live with several 'seeds of disease' in our bodies.
There is no way to know when the seeds of disease will sprout.
Even if you are healthy today, you can become sick tomorrow.
There are also cases of sudden death.
It may sound cold, but it is a reality we must accept.
The kind of life I recommend for your later years is one where you accept reality as it is and spend your time in a way that leaves you with no regrets even if your life ends tomorrow.
‘Not enduring or overdoing it’ is an important way to create days without regrets.

---From "Chapter 2: Overcoming the Wall of Aging"

It is generally said that early detection of cognitive impairment is important.
But at the level of modern medicine, there are only drugs that 'may have some effect'.
In other words, even if it is discovered early, there is nothing that can be done about it with medical power.
But as I pointed out earlier, the moment you are diagnosed with cognitive impairment, people around you change their attitudes or take over your role.
Therefore, if you are at the stage where forgetfulness is just beginning, it may be better not to go to the doctor.
The key is not to diagnose cognitive impairment, but to slow its progression.
So what should we do? The most effective way to slow the progression of cognitive impairment is to continually use your mind and move your body.

---From "Chapter 3: Overcoming the Wall of Dementia and Cognitive Impairment"

There is no guarantee that someone who walks healthily today will do so a year from now.
However, if you continue to live a life without walking, you will not be able to walk at all.
The scary reality for seniors over 80 is that if they don't use their remaining functions, they will quickly become weak.
Some people become rapidly frail around the age of 82 or 83, and these are usually people who stopped working a lot around the age of 80.
While some people are forced to quit due to illness or injury, many are stuck at home for no apparent reason.
You give up on what you can still do and become unable to do anything.
What a pity this is.
From now on, I will introduce 44 'hints to leaving residual functions'.
You don't have to practice everything.
If you have even one or two things in mind, then give them a try.

---From "Chapter 4: Overcoming the 80-Year-Old Wall"