Unfortunately, there’s no way around it! Getting older is unavoidable. It’s a natural process often fraught with signs of decline. Grey or thinning hair, skyrocketing cholesterol or blood pressure, and the smell of Ben Gay on cricky bones to name a few. But, is it a guaranteed fact that we all must endure infirmity in our golden years? Experts agree that getting older is no longer synonymous with illness, cognitive dysfunction, or frequent trips to the doctor. Here are 8 tips to help you enjoy the best of health and retain your physical independence for as long as you can while you age.
1. Get Moving
1. Get Up and Move
Movement is an essential. Regular exercise is by far the best way to keep yourself fit and healthy. Almost any physical activity, but especially the kind that raises your heart rate to target, can actually help slow the aging process. The advantages of regular movement can improve mood, cognitive function, and reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. According to this article by the CDC, if adults age 40 years and older in the United States exercised 10 minutes a day 110,000 fatalities a year could be avoided
2. Eat Smart
2. Eat Smart
As you age, the ratio of junk food to essential nutrients should dwindle to nil with each passing year. Fruits and vegetables, Omega 3 fatty acids, high-quality proteins, and fibers should take the center stage. Heart-healthy grains, such as oats and quinoa should replace white bread, pasta, and fried potatoes. If you work from home and your skin hardly sees sunlight, add Vitamin D supplementation. Drinking plenty of water keeps you hydrated. It helps minimizes the chance of constipation and improves metabolism
3. Get a Good Night’s Sleep
3. Sleep Tight At Night
Sleep can affect almost every function in our bodies. It’s important for our growth, our daily concentration, for a well-oiled immune system, achieving optimal blood pressure and cardiovascular health, reducing stress, warding off weight gain, supporting a healthy mood, and so much more. Some conditions, especially the ones that cause pain, and discomfort, make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep through the night. Some poor habits can also contribute to insomnia such as going to bed late, dropping off in front of the TV, or using alcohol to get some shut eye.
This article on sleep and aging breaks it all down and purports that we all need about 7 hours of good, healthy REM sleep per night no matter our age.
4. Quit Smoking
4. Quit Smoking
No matter how old you are, smoking is NEVER a good idea. It is responsible for 1 out of every 5 deaths in the United States and just about everyone including the NIH, the CDC, and the U.S. FDA supports quitting tobacco smoke as soon as you can. Smoking increases the chances of lung disease including cancer and COPD. It contributes significantly to various cardiovascular diseases and compared to their nonsmoking counterparts, adult smokers have a 3-fold higher mortality rate and a 10-year lower life expectancy.
5. Limit Your Alcohol
5. Limit Your Alcohol Consumption
Frequent consumption of alcohol has risen in older adults aged 65 and older. It has a detrimental effect on brain structure and activity and contributes to declining cognitive functions and memory issues. What’s more, the body’s ability to degrade alcohol also reduces with age. Alcohol-addicted older adults have a greater risk of falls, accidents, and fractures. If you want to age gracefully, you should minimize alcohol use.
6. Get Regular Check-Ups
6. Get Regular Check-Ups
As you age, the likelihood of contracting disease also increases. Everyone, but especially adults age 40 and older should have screening tests every year and should adopt preventive measures. Some diseases are not easily detected until they become worse. Regular check-ups assist your doctors in detecting them as early as possible and implementing timely treatment. Some chronic diseases, such as diabetes, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and asthma, also need regular surveillance check-ups in order to keep the condition under control.
7. Socialize
7. Socialize
Social isolation increases the risk of dementia, anxiety, depression and premature death. Sources also say that an increased rate in heart disease and strokes, 29% and 32%, respectively, are associated with social isolation and loneliness. Hospitalization and emergency room visits increase by 68% and 57%, respectively among older adults with little to no community support. The best ways around this is to get involved with local activities, enroll in a class, find a hobby that connects you with like-minded people, or get a volunteer job.
8. Control Your Stress
8. Control Your Stress
Stress is one of the most prevalent concerns when you age. It is tied to numerous health and social issues which tend to multiply and compile with time if they are not well-managed. Common examples include limited finances, impaired cognitive health, difficulties in the job place, difficulty controlling chronic conditions, legal entanglements, family problems, and more.
Some of the most common signs of stress are anxiety and panic attacks, headaches, sleep problems, fatigue, low appetite, body aches, stomach issues, and muscle tension. Ignoring these signs for too long can lead to severe medical ailments including heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. To age healthy it is imperative to learn what is stressing you out and deal with it immediately even if that means quitting your job, separating yourself from toxic relationships, or moving to a new location for a fresh start.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! Eight great tips to help keep you healthy and youthful as you age. Lots of age-related factors that you may encounter are out of your control such as genetic predisposition. But, many are preventable. It’s never too early to start taking steps toward managing your health so that you can assure to live as independently as possible maintaining the highest quality of life as you age.
