Americans are now living longer, healthier lives than they were in past decades. This goes beyond living a healthy lifestyle with a nutrient-rich diet and exercise and has a lot to do with mental and social wellbeing. As you age, it’s easy to become less social and less active. By taking the steps to overcome these hurdles, you’ll age more gracefully, enjoy a more active, stimulating life and feel younger.
- Eat Healthy Foods. Focus on eating vitamin-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole-grains. Everyone has different dietary needs and consulting your doctor before adjusting your diet is crucial to make sure you’re avoiding the nutrients that won’t benefit your body.
- Maintain Your Brain. Some cognitive decline is normal as you grow older and as an increasing number of adults have Alzheimer’s Disease, it’s important to continue to stimulate your brain to slow down cognitive decline. Simple tasks such as puzzles, attending lectures, and reading can make a big difference. If you want to push yourself further, try a new exercise class or learn a new language!
- Live An Active Life. Exercise and staying busy is key to maintaining mental and physical wellbeing. Living an active lifestyle reduces stress, memory loss, fatigue, and a host of geriatric health conditions.
- Cultivate Relationships. Maintain relationships with friends and family members by scheduling time to get coffee, talk on the phone, or share a meal together. Having social interactions with others decreases feelings of isolation and loneliness, which are common as you age.
- Break Up Your Routine. Having the same routine every day can limit brain stimulation. Although many routines are in place for a purpose, you can easily make slight changes to them. When you’re eating, choose a different vegetable than you normally choose. If you’re running to the grocery store, take a different route than you normally would .
- Practive Prevention. Many incidents and illnesses are preventable. By getting your yearly flu shot, washing your hands after using the restroom and before handling any food, you can prevent numerous illnesses. To prevent falls, wear appropriate footwear, complete an in-home safety check, exercise to keep your muscles working, keep items off the floor that can be tripped over, and have your vision checked.
- Take Charge of Your Health. Whether you are on prescription medication or have had past health ailments, it’s important to take charge of your health and make changes in your lifestyle to help improve any symptoms you might have. Before making any lifestyle changes, consult with your doctor first to figure out what is best for your individual health concerns
- Engage in Community Activities. By engaging in community activities that are offered within your community your live in, the opportunity to have fun, meet new people, and make a difference in a non-stressful way can instantly increase your mood! Senior centers, in particular, offer a host of activities and amenities that are free or inexpensive.
You too can live a long, healthy life if you feed your body, mind and spirit with positive actions.
