Senior Health - Keeping Healthy and Fit as We Age

To most people, the thought of a long life brings with it visions of years of aching bones and poor fitness. But the health of a senior doesn’t have to be that way.

True, as people age, the wear and tear of living damages your body cells. But it is possible to slow the process down or to speed it up depending on our environment and lifestyle. Smoking, eating fatty foods and not exercising end up causing disease. Not because we’re getting older as much as a result of the way we live.

It used to be that living past 100 years old was a remarkable achievement. Today, many people can boast of reaching such an age. With the advances in medical technology, who knows how long your future might be? By taking care of your health now, you will be able to enjoy those future years.

Being healthy doesn’t mean giving up everything you enjoy eating or doing so that you can live longer. It means being able to live a full life in your sixties, seventies, and beyond. It is possible to have quantity of years plus quality of life right until the end. Even small changes, like walking up and down the stairs, parking your car a little further away from your destination, or making sure you have enough sleep can make a big difference in your life.

Your family background plays a part in the diseases you may be prone to inherit. But by making healthy choices, you don’t have to develop medical problems. Take an inventory of your lifestyle. Make any changes you need to improve your eating and exercise habits. Be tested regularly by a doctor. Avoid harmful environmental factors, such as air pollution and poor drinking water.

A healthy lifestyle includes mental health, which benefits from continuous learning, Scientists have found that there is a link between high levels of curiosity and longer life spans. Older adults should take every opportunity to learn new things. Good mental health also includes being thankful instead of critical and negative, and having a sense of humor. Developing a connection with God is also very healing for many people.

As seniors, we need to take our health seriously instead of thinking it’s too late to change it. Drink in moderation. Don’t work too hard. Keep active. Eat properly and if possible, don’t smoke. These are all things we can do to live a long and healthy life.