How to Age Healthy and Happy

Everyone ages differently. This means that one person can be just as fit in their 70s as they were in their 50s, while others have less and less mobility or cognitive power as they age. And partially, this is due to genetics, but that’s not all there is to it. “Good aging” really refers to your quality of life and your health, and there is a lot you can do to make sure you are aging healthily. Remember that this starts early, and the sooner you adopt these habits, the healthier you will be.

Balanced diet

The first thing you should make sure you are doing is giving your body the appropriate fuel. Each one of your meals should be balanced and have the appropriate amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals. The best way to ensure this is to eat fresh, home-cooked meals as often as you can. As you get older, you might have some difficulty standing for a long time to make complex meals, but luckily there is a plethora of easy dishes that you can make in just about 30 minutes that are highly nutritious and healthy. Going to the farmers market regularly to pick up fresh produce is also a great and simple way to stay active and make sure you are walking a little bit every day. If you are having trouble processing food because of dental issues, try pureeing it, but don’t always overcook everything, because the longer produce cooks, the more nutrients it loses.

Take care of mental health

There is a lot more to living healthily than just having a healthy body. Your mind has to be just as healthy, and unfortunately, our brains recover much slower than other cells in our body and they can be damaged by bad habits such as alcohol and smoking. For starters, you will want to make sure you aren’t lonely. Stay in touch with family and friends or go to the park and chat with people there to keep social ties strong. This leads to another problem: undiagnosed dementia. If spotted early, people with dementia can be placed in high quality aged care institutions like NewDirection Care, where they will get all the help they need. Nowadays, those complexes are like micro communities, where people can live healthy lives, surrounded by neighbors and visited by loved ones, but without losing the care they need.

Exercise levels

Once we retire, out energy levels plummet, and it’s important that we try to keep them as high as possible. A starting point can be doing things around your house, like regular cleaning, gardening, crafting or taking care of grandchildren. But this really isn’t enough to keep you healthy, and you will need an actual exercise routine. Great options are pilates, yoga, jogging, walking and hiking. You don’t have to do this every day (although there’s nothing stopping you), and you will probably do best if you find an exercise buddy and train together, to give each other motivation. Don’t ever miss out on an activity because you think you’re “too old to do it”. There are 90-year-olds running marathons, so you can go on that weekend hike without worries. Of course, if you think something is wrong with your body and health that might prevent you from exercising, talk to a doctor – not so that you can get an excuse not to exercise, but so that they can advise you how to do it in a healthy way.

You can live a happy life well into your old age, but the first step is taking care of your health. Start early, but remember that it’s never too late to get healthier and improve your quality of life.