The first time you see someone in their seventies walk past you with a spring in their step, laughing with a friend, a tiny part of you takes a mental note. You don’t say it out loud, but the thought flashes through your head: “Okay, that. I want that.”
You notice small details. The way they listen more than they talk. The way their clothes aren’t trying too hard, yet somehow they look more alive than half the twenty-somethings on the street. They know the barista’s name. They carry a tote bag with library books and fresh fruit.
Nothing about them screams “age-defying”. They’re just… quietly impressive.
And one day, someone will be watching you the same way.
1. Stay genuinely curious about people, not just the past
At 70, you’ve lived through enough history to fill a shelf of documentaries. The trap is getting stuck there. What makes people unforgettable at that age is not how much they remember, but how curious they still are about what’s happening now.
The 70-year-old everyone loves doesn’t hijack conversations with “Back in my day…”. They ask, “What’s your day like now?” and really mean it. They’re interested in their neighbour’s job in UX design, even if they still don’t fully understand what UX is.
Their secret superpower is not wisdom. It’s curiosity that never retired.
Picture a Sunday lunch. Three generations, phones scattered on the table, conversations overlapping. There’s always that one grandparent who leans in and says to the teenager, “Okay, explain this app to me like I’m five,” then laughs when they mix up “streaming” and “downloading”.
A 2023 survey from the University of Michigan found that older adults who felt curious and engaged with younger people reported higher life satisfaction than those who mostly reminisced with peers. It wasn’t about how “cool” they were. It was about asking questions and staying in the flow of current life.
People walk away from those interactions thinking, “They actually listened to me.” That’s rare at any age.
There’s a reason this stands out. Curiosity is the opposite of resignation. When you’re still asking questions at 70, it tells the world: “I haven’t decided that the best part is over.”
Psychologists sometimes call this a “growth mindset”, but in real life it just looks like someone who doesn’t roll their eyes at new music, new pronouns, new careers. They might not get all of it, and that’s fine. What counts is the posture: open, not defensive.
*People admire that way more than perfect health or a wrinkle-free face.*
2. Move your body like it’s a long-term relationship, not a punishment
The 70-year-olds who make everyone say “I hope I’m like that” are rarely the ones who ran marathons. They’re the ones who still move. They walk, they stretch, they garden, they dance in their kitchen when the kettle’s boiling.
They’ve understood something younger people often miss: movement isn’t a performance, it’s a quiet daily loyalty to your future self. A 20-minute walk counts. Five minutes of balance exercises while brushing your teeth counts.
They treat their body like an old but beloved car. Not showroom-perfect, but still reliable because it’s taken out for a spin every day.
I know a man named Paul who is 74 and walks like he’s always on his way to something mildly exciting. Twice a week, he goes to a community center class called “Gentle Strength”. The name makes everyone laugh, but the results are serious. At a family wedding, when the dancing started, Paul didn’t sit out. He danced with his granddaughter, then with his sister, then with a stranger’s aunt.
His doctor told him a simple truth: people who keep their legs strong keep their independence longer. And that shows in small ways. He climbs stairs without drama. He gets up from low chairs without needing three attempts.
Nobody praises his biceps. They just notice he’s always… there, fully participating.
Let’s be honest: nobody really does this every single day. The admired 70-year-olds miss workouts, have stiff mornings, grumble about their knees. The difference is, they start again.
They also don’t confuse intensity with success. They understand that consistency beats heroics. Ten minutes, most days, supporting joints, balance, and lung capacity. The World Health Organization keeps repeating that regular, moderate activity lowers risks of dementia, depression, and disability.
People don’t see your exercise routine. What they see is you, still able to travel, to play with grandkids, to carry your own suitcase. That’s what sticks in their mind.
3. Keep a project that has nothing to do with “staying busy”
The people we secretly want to emulate at 70 all have one thing in common: they are “on to something”. Not scrolling, not just filling days, but actually working on a project that matters to them.
It might be learning Italian on an app, restoring a bike in the garage, or writing down family recipes before they disappear. The content doesn’t need to be impressive. What makes it magnetic is the sense of direction.
They wake up with a tiny mission. That changes how their whole day feels.
Take Rosa, 71, who started recording voice messages of family stories on her phone during the pandemic. At first it was just to send to a niece abroad. Then it became a habit. She bought a cheap microphone, learned basic editing on YouTube, and now she’s turning those stories into a private podcast for her family.
Nobody asked her to. Nobody’s paying her. Still, she treats it with the seriousness of a part-time job. She researches dates, finds old photos, checks details with her brothers. When she talks about it, her eyes light up.
Her grandchildren don’t say, “Wow, she’s so productive.” They say, “She’s so cool. She has a podcast.”
The psychology behind this is simple. A personal project gives you structure, a sense of competence, and something to talk about that isn’t health or politics. It protects you from one of the most brutal feelings of aging: becoming “redundant”.
When people see a 70-year-old actively building something, they perceive them as still in motion, not fading out. That impression lingers. It turns them from “old person” into “interesting person who happens to be older”.
That tiny shift in how others see you starts with a quiet decision: I’m not done creating.
4. Say “yes” to small plans, even when the sofa is louder
Here’s a very practical, very unglamorous habit: at 70, if you want to be that person others admire, keep saying “yes” to small invitations. Coffee with a neighbour. A free lecture at the library. A friend’s grandson’s school play.
You won’t always feel like it. The sofa will call your name, especially on dark evenings. But the people we notice, the ones who still glow socially, are the ones who show up. They don’t wait for “big” events. They accept the small, slightly awkward, beautifully ordinary ones.
Those tiny yeses add up to a life that still feels connected.
There’s a woman in my building, 72, who never misses the monthly “bring your own mug” tea hour in the lobby. The event itself is nothing spectacular: a folding table, some biscuits, lukewarm tea. The conversations start clumsy, then warm up.
She told me once, “If I stop going to things, people stop asking me to go to things.” That line hit hard. She isn’t the loudest or the funniest. She just shows up, remembers names, asks follow-up questions from last month.
Now, when anyone organizes anything in the building, they automatically think, “We have to tell her. She’ll come.” That’s how reputations are built.
Of course there are days when you need rest or quiet. This isn’t about forcing extroversion; it’s about resisting the slow slide into isolation, which researchers link over and over to faster physical and cognitive decline.
The admired 70-year-olds don’t have wildly exciting social calendars. What they have is continuity. They keep a few regular dates with the world: choir practice, a book club, a weekly walk with a friend who also complains about their hips.
“I don’t go out because I feel young,” one 79-year-old told researchers. “I feel young because I go out.”
- Say yes to one small plan a week, even if you’re mildly tired.
- Keep one recurring social ritual on your calendar.
- Be the one who occasionally initiates a walk, a coffee, or a call.
- Accept that some outings will be mediocre; the point is momentum.
- Tell people, “Invite me, even if I say no sometimes.”
5. Let your style age, but not disappear
There’s a myth that growing older “gracefully” means fading into beige. The people who make others whisper, “I hope I’m like that,” haven’t accepted that rule. Their style has softened, yes, but it hasn’t surrendered.
Maybe they don’t wear high heels anymore, or tight shirts, or anything that requires a contortionist to zip. But they still care. A bright scarf. A well-fitted jacket. A lipstick they’ve worn since the 80s.
They dress not to look younger, but to look like themselves. That confidence reads as timeless.
Think of that older man who always wears interesting hats, or the woman whose silver hair is cut into a sharp bob instead of hidden under a tired dye job. These small style decisions send quiet messages: “I’m still here. I still inhabit my body.”
A 2022 UK survey found that older adults who reported “taking pleasure” in getting dressed had higher self-rated health and social confidence, regardless of their actual medical conditions. Style didn’t fix their arthritis; it helped them feel visible.
People don’t necessarily remember the clothes. They remember the energy of someone who hasn’t given up on delight.
There’s a plain-truth element here: style at 70 is less about trends and more about refusing to disappear. You’re allowed to be comfortable. You’re allowed to choose soft fabrics, supportive shoes, elastic waists.
What makes you memorable isn’t perfection. It’s one or two **deliberate choices** that say, “I decided this, I didn’t just let it happen to me.” A favourite colour, a signature accessory, a jacket you actually like.
The younger people watching you don’t think, “Wow, they look 50.” They think, “They look like themselves, and they’re not apologising for aging.” That’s powerful.
6. Talk honestly about aging, without bitterness or fake positivity
The older people who stick in our minds are rarely the ones pretending everything is fine. They’re the ones who can say, “My back hurts today,” and then laugh at their own pill organizer. They don’t sugarcoat the hard parts, but they don’t let every conversation circle the drain of complaints either.
They’ve found a middle lane: real, but not heavy. Serious, but not self-pitying.
That emotional balance is quietly heroic.
We’ve all been there, that moment when an older relative starts listing ailments and the room’s energy just… sinks. Contrast that with the 70-year-old who says, “My knee? A disaster. But I discovered the heated pool and I’m basically part dolphin now.” There’s a lightness that doesn’t deny reality, just refuses to be swallowed by it.
Studies on intergenerational relationships show that younger people avoid older adults who only bring negativity, yet deeply value elders who share both struggles and strategies. They want honesty and hope in the same sentence.
People remember the ones who gave them a real picture of aging without scaring them.
One plain truth: aging is a mixed bag. You lose some capacities, gain some perspective. You miss your 40-year-old knees, you’re relieved to be free of 40-year-old insecurities.
When you can speak about all of that without bitterness, you become a kind of emotional role model. You give younger people a script for their own future fears. You say, with your tone as much as your words, **“This is hard, and I’m still okay.”**
That balance is what makes someone look at you, at 70 or 80, and quietly hope they’ll handle their own aging the same way.
7. Keep a tiny rebellious streak
The older people who fascinate us always have one small, surprising streak of rebellion. Nothing dramatic. Just a hint that they haven’t become completely domesticated by age.
Maybe they still play their music slightly too loud. Maybe they eat dessert first. Maybe they refuse to pretend they like a tradition that bores them. There’s a little sparkle of “I still decide who I am”.
That spark reads as youth, even when the body doesn’t.
What all of this quietly adds up to
When you put all these habits side by side—curiosity, movement, small projects, saying yes, honest talk, a bit of style, a streak of rebellion—they don’t look dramatic. They look almost ordinary.
And that’s the point. **The people we admire at 70 are not superheroes.** They are people who made a series of small, repeated choices not to shut down. Not to turn away from the world. Not to vanish into comfort only.
None of this guarantees a smooth life or perfect health. Things will still hurt, people will still leave, days will still feel too quiet sometimes. Yet somewhere, someone younger will see you laughing at a joke, stubbornly walking up a hill, asking a real question, and think, without telling you: “I hope I’m like that when I’m older.”
That thought, forming silently in someone else’s mind, might be one of the most beautiful legacies you ever leave.
| Key point | Detail | Value for the reader |
|---|---|---|
| Stay curious | Ask questions about people’s current lives, not just share memories | Keeps you mentally sharp and emotionally connected |
| Keep moving | Gentle, consistent activity over intense, rare workouts | Protects independence and lets you keep showing up in life |
| Have a project | Personal, meaningful goals like learning, creating, or documenting | Gives direction, purpose, and interesting things to talk about |
FAQ:
- Question 1Is it “too late” to start new habits at 70?
- Answer 1No. Research shows benefits from movement, socializing, and learning even when started in later life. Progress may be slower, but your brain and body still respond.
- Question 2What if my health is already limited?
- Answer 2Work within your real limits, not imaginary ones. Micro-walks, chair exercises, phone calls, voice messages, or small creative projects still count and still change how you feel.
- Question 3I don’t feel naturally social. Do I have to become an extrovert?
- Answer 3No. Aim for a few steady, low-pressure connections: one friend to walk with, a book club, a neighbour you have tea with. Depth over quantity.
- Question 4How do I stay “curious” when young people’s lives seem so different?
- Answer 4Ask simple, open questions: “What does a normal day look like for you?”, “What do you like about that?”, “What’s hard about it?” You don’t need to fully “get” it to care.
- Question 5What’s one habit I could start this week?
- Answer 5Choose one: a daily 10-minute walk, calling someone every Sunday, or starting a small project list and picking one to move forward by just 15 minutes. Small is sustainable.
