It’s a sad state of affairs, but many people expect their health to decline severely as they age. In fact, because of this belief, they don’t even bother to try and maintain their health. Of course, this can be very dangerous. The reason being that while some issues and conditions are more likely to happen, the older we get, there is also a great deal we can do to stay healthy as we age. Read on to find out what.
Focus on nutrition
By now, very few people in the world don’t understand the link between our diet and our health. However, just because we grasp the concept it doesn’t mean that we always make the right choices when it comes to nutrition. In fact, it can become easier to not think too carefully about what we eat as we get older and get into tried and tested patterns.
To that end, regularly reviewing your diet, fitness levels, and weight can be a beneficial task. Additionally, making small swaps to healthier options such as changing out sparkling water for soda is a great idea. The reason being that such actions can have a tremendous positive cumulative effect on your health.
When it comes to exercising its use it or lose it
It’s a use it or loses its situation when it comes to exercising as we age. However, the advantages of fitness, as Dr. Linell King points out, are enormous. With an elevation of mood, strengthening of bones, and retention of flexibility, to name but a few. Not to mention that nearly all regular exercise will help you to maintain a healthier weight. Something that can help minimize your risk of issues that are often associated with obesity and aging, such as heart disease, diabetes, and mobility troubles.
To that end, if you find yourself in a situation where you cannot do the exercise you are used to doing, make an effort to replace those activities with something else. For example, runners struggling with injuries can check with their doctor to see if lower impact activities like yoga, pilates, or hiking are more suitable.
Mental health is just as important as the physical stuff
In fact, mental and physical health are facets of our experience that are linked together. One affects the other and vice versa. The good news is that there are many things you can do to maintain your mental health as you age.
The first is to make sure that you regularly get out and about, and engage with your community. Whether that is friends, family, or the community at large. In fact, one of the most significant contributing factors to more mental health in those over 60 is social isolation.
Additionally, keeping your intelligence engaged is also a crucial task as we age. In fact, studies have shown that having engaging hobbies, goals, and interests, to focus on as we get older can have a range of health benefits. Such as keeping your mental processes sharp.
