As our aging population continues to grow and older adults live longer, healthy aging has never been more critical. Age health consists of various factors, including developing healthy routines, following preventative measures, and addressing well-being from a holistic perspective. While individual journeys differ, there’s one similarity for all. It’s never too early or too soon to start planting the seed for a healthy future. So whether you’re well into your golden years, approaching retirement age, caring for an aging relative, or interested in planning for your future, here are five healthy aging considerations.
Preventative Healthcare
One of the pillars of healthy aging is preventative healthcare. This includes regular check-ups with healthcare providers, annual wellness visits, vision and hearing checks, routine blood work, and immunizations. Taking action early can help either prevent or manage chronic diseases as the risk of developing a health condition increases with age. Since each person’s history is different and influenced by many other factors, seeing healthcare providers regularly can help determine which preventative screenings or services are right for you.
Regular Exercise
Healthy habits, including regular physical activity and exercise, are crucial to healthy aging. Current guidelines recommend regular cardio exercise and strength training for all adults ages 18 and older. Adults 65+ should also incorporate balance and multicomponent exercise into their routines to help prevent falls and fall-related injuries.
Regular exercise boasts many body and brain health benefits in the short and long term. From a healthy aging perspective, some of the most important ones to consider are lowered risk of developing cancer, cardiovascular diseases, including type 2 diabetes and hypertension, and dementia (including Alzheimer’s Disease), and improved cognition, quality of life, and physical function. While many health benefits are well established, new ones are linked to regular exercise, making it an essential part of the healthy aging picture.
Proper Nutrition
No matter your age, eating a diet high in whole foods and low in processed foods helps with the healthy aging picture, given the known brain and body health benefits. Eating various fruits and vegetables helps boost your immune system, maintain eye health, and slow aging, thanks to its rich antioxidant content. Many foods that support heart health also support brain health, including leafy green vegetables, berries, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds. With aging, some changes to digestion and absorption require additional attention. To start, increasing the amount of protein in your diet helps maintain strong bones and muscles. The sense of thirst can also diminish with age, so ensuring adequate hydration through water-based drinks and foods is also essential. Since some age-related changes can lead to malnutrition, prioritizing quality nutrition and following age and health-related guidelines is recommended.
Brain Health
There are many ways to maintain brain health, including regular exercise and proper nutrition, as addressed above, in addition to mental stimulation, socialization, and sleep. Preventing or minimizing the risk of cognitive decline is a critical topic, significantly, since the risk of developing dementia also increases with age. Engaging in activities that are mentally stimulating, such as puzzles, card games, reading, writing, painting, or learning new skills/hobbies, can help with healthy aging—having a solid social network, surrounding yourself with friends, family, and pets, and having a purpose in life all help to boost brain health. Prioritizing nighttime sleep, aiming for 7-9 hours each night, and consolidating or limiting daytime sleep also helps to keep your brain strong and decrease the risk of age-related cognitive changes.
Plan Ahead
If you are interested in age health for yourself or a loved one, take steps today and prepare for what may lie ahead. There’s no reason to wait. With many of the above recommendations providing immediate and long-term benefits, healthy aging can and should start now. Are you looking for other ways to set the landscape for healthy aging? Reach out to the Rothkoff Law Group team today and find out how the expertise of a life care planning team helps ensure that all of your needs are addressed today, tomorrow, and in the future.
