America is becoming an older nation. Does that worry you?

For a country that’s always thought of itself as young, the statistics are a shock to the system! We’re now a more-old-than-young society and with that comes the fear of scarcity, isolation, cost and conflict. I hope we never see “kids vs. canes,” but the possibility of a struggle over diminishing resources in a society split along generational lines is real.

I don’t want to make light of the genuine challenges we face, but I believe there is reason for optimism and the possibility of a much better outcome. The fact is, for all the hand wringing and apocalyptic predictions, the needs and assets of the generations fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Just ask any grandparent! If we build on this natural bond between the older and younger generations, both within families and across different communities, we can avoid conflict, solve problems from child care to loneliness and even generate a good deal of personal happiness along the way.

What’s standing in the way of closer ties between older and younger generations?

Since the beginning of human history, older people have invested in and supported younger generations. And yet over the past 50 years, we’ve taken something that’s deeply rooted in the human experience and made it close to impossible in our modern world.

The two biggest culprits are a culture that encourages older people to hang on to their youth and a whole set of institutions that keep the generations physically apart. Workplaces, housing and our education system are all increasingly age-segregated.

What will it take to remove the barriers and bring the generations together?

We’re going to have to be as creative at inventing institutions that bring Americans together as we have been over the past century in crafting ones that split us apart. I’m encouraged by new ideas popping up across the country, particularly in housing.

A few years ago in Boston, two MIT grads launched Nesterly, a tech start-up pairing older people who have room to spare in their homes with university students in need of reduced rent and able to do chores. In Cleveland, a senior living community called Judson Manor created an artist-in-residence program in 2010 providing free housing for graduate music students, who agree to perform for the residents and participate in meals and other activities.

In both cases, proximity has often brought with it not just support but deep, intergenerational friendships.

What can we do to challenge age segregation in our own lives?

It’s so important to focus on creating relationships across generations. But don’t do it in an eat-your-broccoli kind of way. Do it because it’s one of the surest routes to happiness in our longer lives.

The psychiatrist George Vaillant, who led the landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development, tracking hundreds of men for decades, found that those in middle age or older who invest in nurturing the next generation are three times as likely to be happy as those who fail to do so.

How to get started? Here are three quick tips One; Think long and hard about how you set up your life — where you live, worship and volunteer. Two: Listen. One of my mentors used to talk about how easy and seductive it is to be interesting. It’s much harder but more worthwhile to be interested. And three: Sign up for more ideas from Gen2Gen, the Encore.org campaign to mobilize 1 million adults 50+ to stand up for — and with — young people today.

Of all the things that divide us, the gap between old and young is arguably the most bridgeable, but there’s no time to waste.

Contact Oasis to learn how you can become an intergenerational tutor. You can make a difference!

Wayne Chambers won’t let a little cold weather get in the way of exercising his favorite way.

“I’ll just bundle up,” he says, pointing out he’s proof positive that you really can’t forget how to ride a bicycle after all. “Many years ago, I delivered telegraphs for Western Union using my JC Higgins single speed bike.”

Wayne recently rediscovered his bike after his doctor suggested that he  start attending some fitness classes as a way to control his weight and stay active. The Oasis Healthy Habits for Adults program offered at Christian Hospital in St. Louis was just what he needed and eventually led him back to biking.

A jumpstart toward a healthy lifestyle

Healthy Habits for Adults provides guidance for older adults like Wayne who want to learn how they can make simple changes to improve their health through nutrition and physical activity.

Led by volunteers, the weekly, one-hour sessions include preparation of healthy snacks, as well as lessons about healthy food choices and low impact exercise. Some of the topics include:

• recognizing foods that are good for you
• tips for eating healthy on a budget
• understanding food labels
• how to reduce salt and sugar intake
• simple exercises that older adults can do at their own pace

Participants also receive free Healthy Living Guide for Adults, a resource packed with practical tips to make healthier living easier.

Getting back on the bike

For Wayne, the classes also served as an introduction to Oasis and all of the programs available. Thumbing through the catalog, he found a biking group. Now he’s a regular.

“Sometimes I am the oldest one in the group. The hills are getting tough, but I’ve got endurance and I’m trying to keep my strength. One thing I don’t want to be is a grumpy old man. It’s about how you want to be remembered.”

Healthy Habits for Adults was developed in 2014 to complement Oasis CATCH Healthy Habits, an intergenerational obesity prevention program that started in 2011. Both programs have been made possible with support from Anthem Foundation. The Foundation has announced continued support for Healthy Habits for Adults in 2017, with an award over $400,000.

Classes are available in seven cities across the country. Find upcoming classes.