Six Habits To Stay Healthy As You Age

As more Americans ageing into retirement develop chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, they need to take care to ensure that retirement doesn’t turn into a never ending struggle to try and stay healthy. In this article we list six of the healthiest behaviors that could help the senior population stay in good shape for much longer.

Aging does not have to be synonymous with disease or impairment. You can stay fit and healthy as you grow older by adjusting specific day-to-day habits and routines. This is a simpler and much more affordable solution than consulting a specialist – which can be very expensive. The fact is there are a lot of people who cannot afford to see a physician whenever they want to. Staying healthy and fit for good, without having to pay for medications or long-term treatment plans to cure specific conditions, has to be the most sensible answer.
The list addresses many important aspects of people’s lives touching on things that could help them improve their health and provide long-term solutions to many issues that might shorten lifespan substantially.

1. Taking Good Care of Your Diet
First and most importantly, you need to be watching your diet constantly. “Nearly 23.3 million Americans suffer from diabetes, which is caused by poor eating habits in most cases. Cutting back on sugar is important for people of all ages but even more so as you get older and your body becomes less efficient at fighting diseases. You should consider using substitutes which are unrefined with a lower glycaemic index. Other things to consider would be to eat less food that are rich in fats and carbohydrates and include more fruits and vegetables into your diet. These changes alone can make a big difference in how healthy you are as you get older.

2. Keeping Your Brain Active
It is easy to see why this piece of cognitive-related advice is so important. All throughout your working life you may have had to stay focused and sharp to earn your living. Now that you have retired the pressure is off. What you may not have realized is, that it was this need to use your brain to find solutions to problems that kept your mind sharp and ultimately, your body healthy also. Research has found that keeping the brain active not only fosters executive function but it can also reduce the risk of developing memory-loss illnesses such as Alzheimer’s. Even when you don’t have the challenge of work to keep you sharp you can help yourself by doing recall games and word exercises – for example, finding 5 blue objects during a walk, and recalling them on your way back home. You can also try brain exercising games.

3. Walking with Poles
This involves walking with poles instead of canes or walkers. Pole walking engages the muscles of the upper torso, which are critical to better cardiovascular endurance and upper-body strength. This can, moreover, improve flexibility in ageing people, which subsequently contributes to a healthier lifestyle.

4. Taking Health Supplements
Most modern diets lack important nutrients that can help people keep their bodies working well. Taking specific health supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acids, can improve cognitive function, reduce joint pain, lower depression levels, aid digestion, and much more.

5. Eating Fiber-Rich Foods
As people age, their metabolism slows down considerably, which can make digestion very difficult. Nutritionists and seniors both agree that eating foods rich in fiber can boost metabolism and aid digestion. Fiber can prevent constipation, helping individuals to have healthy bowel movements without the need to take medications.

6. Quitting Smoking
The last piece of advice is quitting smoking – a habit that is seemingly decreasing the average life span substantially. Smoking increases the incidence of many of the conditions people suffer from during their lifetime. These include heart disease, heart attacks, stroke, kidney failure, lung disease, and even cancer. The quitting process may be difficult, but it will certainly improve quality of life, and help you achieve a much healthier lifestyle as you grow older.

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