More and more of us are living longer and participating in healthy active lives into our senior years. If this sounds like you, or you are heading into your 50s, 60s, and beyond and want to stay as healthy as possible, it’s important to practice habits that support healthy aging.
In the US, the population of senior adults is projected to almost double from 52 million in 2018 to 95 million by 2060, and this could increase the number of older adults in nursing homes by more than 50%.1 But the majority of seniors would prefer to stay in their own homes for as long as possible, an important goal that can be achieved more easily if a person is in good health.
So what should you focus on to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible? There are 3 important areas of health and well-being you need to pay special attention to. We’ll discuss them here.
Caring for your physical health
This is probably the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about healthy aging. There are some things about physical health that we can’t control, like genetics. But if we build healthy habits around the things we can control, it’s possible to reduce the risk of developing serious health problems and to manage any health problems that already exist.
See your doctor regularly
Making sure that you visit your doctor for routine checkups and any time you notice symptoms of a problem is a big part of being proactive about your physical health. Your doctor can work with you to screen for and treat health conditions that could be developing, like high blood pressure, heart disease, or anything you know might be a part of your family’s health history.
Practice healthy eating habits
A healthy diet is important at any stage of life, but as we age there are some particular dietary choices to pay attention to. Older adults tend to need fewer calories, but an increase in some other nutrients, compared to younger adults.2 For example, vitamin B12 absorption can sometimes decrease with age. Your doctor can check a simple blood test to see if your B12 level is high enough. Getting enough protein is also important. And calcium and vitamin D consumption affect bone health– for older adults, a bone disease called osteoporosis can lead to fractures.
Other healthy foods to focus on include:
- Low sodium choices
- Foods low in added sugar
- Fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Foods low in saturated fat
- Plenty of water
Make regular exercise a priority
Staying active has a long list of health benefits. It increases flexibility and balance, reduces the risk of falls, improves mental health, helps to manage chronic diseases, and more. The CDC recommends a goal of 150 minutes of moderate exercise like walking every week (or 22-30 minutes a day). It is also recommended to participate in a strength training activity twice a week. 3
Be sure to get enough sleep
Daily exercise also improves your chances of getting a good night’s sleep. Proper sleep not only helps you to function better during the day, but also reduces your risk for problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, obesity, stroke, and depression. 4 The National Institute on Aging recommends older adults get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. 5
Avoid tobacco and alcohol
It’s no secret that the use of substances like tobacco and alcohol can negatively impact your health. Smoking is known to reduce life expectancy by as much as 10 years. 6 And older adults are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol, with the result leading to problems like interactions with prescription medications, increased risk of falls, dehydration, and other health problems. 7
If you smoke, make quitting a priority. And if you drink, limit your alcohol consumption. Some resources to help you are the National Quit Smoking Hotline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Hotline at 1-800-662-HELP.
Caring for your mental health
Taking care of your mental health is as important as taking care of your physical health. Older adults affected by depression, anxiety, loneliness, and stress can develop age-related physical diseases and neurodegenerative problems and experience reduced life expectancy by as much as 20 years.8
Treat depression and anxiety
If you’re feeling down or anxious and it’s affecting your ability to function or enjoy life, it’s important to seek help. These are not problems that you can just “will away” or that are a sign of a personal flaw. They can be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain that can be treated with medications, and seeking regular therapy can help you manage the symptoms of problems like depression and anxiety.
Don’t ignore isolation and loneliness
Older adults who are no longer in the workforce, or whose children have moved away, can easily become isolated and lonely. This can be worsened even further if health problems limit a person’s ability to leave their home, and as close friends age and pass away.
Loneliness is a known risk factor for depression. It’s important to make regular social contact a part of your life, by taking steps to stay connected socially, such as volunteering, joining a class, and other activities.
Take steps to reduce stress
Another trigger of difficulties with mental health is stress. Along with causing depression and anxiety, stress can affect physical health, too. The CDC estimates that 75% of visits to the doctor are due to problems caused by stress. 9 Before stress has this kind of impact on your well-being, you can take steps to reduce its effects. Taking time for self-care, including many of the healthy habits discussed above, can help you cope with stress better.
Caring for your cognitive health
Aging can sometimes have an impact on cognitive health, too. This is a part of brain health that affects how well someone can think, remember, and learn. Along with following all of the above tips for healthy aging to support your brain health, there are a few other lifestyle tips you can consider. By doing so, research has shown a potential to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by as much as 60%.10
Consider participating in the arts
Research has found that being involved in theater, music, dance and other art has a positive impact on well-being and cognitive function. 11
Learn something new
Evidence suggests that learning a new skill, and engaging in new complex tasks over a period of time, can have a positive effect on cognitive function.12
Exercise your brain
Crossword and jigsaw puzzles, card games, online games, chess, and similar cognitively challenging exercises can help keep your mind active and sharp, much like exercising a muscle. In a 2014 study, researchers found that participants in brain training exercises had benefits 10 years later. 13
Live a healthier, longer life thanks to healthy habits
By taking care of your physical, mental, and cognitive health, you can be sure you are well on your way to a healthier, longer life. Each of these healthy behaviors requires building habits if they aren’t already something you are doing. And it’s important to be patient with yourself– building a new habit can take time, sometimes months. 14
It can help to break these habits into smaller goals- if you are trying to eat healthier and stay better hydrated, tackle hydration first, for example. Or, if you’re trying to exercise more, spend 10 minutes a day exercising and slowly increase it.
It also helps to involve other people in your goals. Maybe a friend has a similar goal and you can work together on meeting it. Or, maybe you need a little extra support from family. This can be especially true if you are older with health challenges or limited mobility that restricts what you can do without physical help.
Even in this situation, you can still make sure your lifestyle supports healthy aging. One way you can do this is by enlisting the help of an in-home care service. By helping you with transportation, mobility, and daily self-care, a professional caregiver can give you the ability to do activities that will keep you healthy and as independent as possible for as long as possible.
If you are considering a professional caregiver, Caresify is available to help you explore assistance with your care needs at home. You can read more here, or call 888-799-5007.
References
- https://www.prb.org/resources/fact-sheet-aging-in-the-united-states/
- https://health.gov/news/202107/nutrition-we-age-healthy-eating-dietary-guidelines
- https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/healthy-aging.htm
- https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation
- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/good-nights-sleep
- https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/tobacco_related_mortality/index.htm
- https://americanaddictioncenters.org/alcoholism-treatment/elderly
- https://www.studyfinds.org/mental-illness-cut-life-20-years/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3341916/#b7-mjms-15-4-009
- https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/cognitive-health-and-older-adults#mind
- https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/participating-arts-creates-paths-healthy-aging
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4154531/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4055506/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.674
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