Towards a framework of healthy aging practices

Abstract

This paper explores how aging consumers engage in daily practices to achieve the balance between three aspects of wellbeing: body, mind, and spirit, with data collected from eighteen in-depth interviews with aging consumers, aged from 62 to 90. Taking on a consumer-centric approach to understanding how aging consumers’ day-to-day practices affect their wellbeing, the paper shows that aging consumers engage in a wide variety of healthy aging practices, including consuming a healthy diet and exercising to keep a healthy body, reading and learning new things to stimulate and sharpen the mind, and maintaining strong social connections for a happy spirit. Drawing from a holistic Body-Mind-Spirit framework and balance theory in discussing healthy aging, this paper contributes to the healthy aging literature by focusing on the lay consumer-centric perspective. Bringing in the lens of consumption practice, it extends previous understanding of healthy aging by illustrating that only when the three wellbeing dimensions are achieved together through self-engaged daily practices, can aging consumers’ wellbeing be effectively and holistically maintained. Managerial and policy making implications are also provided to reflect the research findings.