It’s never too late to live a longer, healthier, happier life. It’s also never too soon to get started. The sooner you make a commitment to practicing healthy aging habits, the sooner you start to look better, feel better, have more energy and slow down the aging process. The time is now to set a goal to be all there when you get there.
The truth is there’s no magic fountain of youth, nor is there a quick fix or miracle cure to solve health problems. But the hard facts of science do point to several lifestyle choices that can help you extend your life. Your job is to make them lifelong habits.
Get Physical – Regular exercise and physical activity have been proven to improve health and mortality. They strengthen the heart, build strong bones and muscles, improve sleep, fight depression and stimulate the brain. Basically, there are three kinds of physical fitness activities – aerobic, strength and flexibility. Of the three, aerobic exercise is probably the most important, which means whenever possible go for a walk, ride your bike, take a swim or go out dancing. The point is to keep your body moving, your heart pumping and you lungs working to capacity as much as you can whenever you can. For a well-rounded physical activity program, strength and flexibility training should also be part of your exercise routine. Do some weight-lifting, stretching or yoga on a regular basis to get the most health benefits from your time and energy spent.
Go Mediterranean – Eating a Mediterranean style diet of lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats has been shown to help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers, as well as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. It’s also been connected with healthy weight loss and a reduced rate of early death. That’s not too bad for a diet of delicious, inexpensive and easily prepared meals. Eliminate butter and use olive oil for cooking and salads. Use red meat sparingly, if at all. Instead eat omega-3 rich fish (salmon, herring, albacore tuna) at least three times a week and lean chicken or turkey the rest of the time. For example, try lean ground turkey in pasta, chili and other meat dishes. And eat your vegetables raw, steamed or lightly grilled and never fried.
Be in touch – People with good, active social lives have been found to live longer, happier lives. Human contact is important for your health. Social interaction has been found to improve healing and to stimulate the brain and memory function, so stay connected to family and friends on a regular basis. Use your phone, computer and note writing skills to stay in touch with friends and family who have moved away. Get involved locally with people at your church, community center, gym.
Don’t Smoke – Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death worldwide. It’s linked to lung cancer, heart disease, diabetes, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also increases the incidence of immune problems, rheumatoid arthritis and certain eye diseases. If you don’t smoke, great! If you do smoke, stop ASAP. As they say, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Some people don’t finally quit the habit till the seventh attempt to stop. It’s better late than never.
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