Healthy Aging Month
Healthy Aging Month is an annual observance month designed to focus national attention on the importance of healthy aging. While genetics can play a part in determining your overall health and lifespan, the things you do, or don’t do, in your everyday life play the biggest role in how well your body ages. This month is a great opportunity to educate yourself, and those around you, on the positive impact healthy habits have on the aging process.
Habits that Lead to Healthy Aging
Listed below are the best, science-backed ways to promote healthy aging:
- Exercise Frequently: Regular workouts can reduce your risk for heart disease, diabetes, arthritis pain, and even anxiety and depression. For the best results, incorporate aerobic exercises, balance exercises, strength training, and stretching into your weekly routine.
- Walk More: The more your body moves, the healthier it becomes. Gary W. Small, MD, director of the UCLA Longevity Center, suggests scheduling times everyday to walk. It could be a brisk walk with a friend or nightly walks with your family. Either way, you are getting more exercise and reducing stress.
- Eat Whole Foods: This is a lifestyle change to the way you eat and think about food, it is not just a short-term diet. Focus on eating more veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, and nuts and less fatty meats, butter, sugar, salt, and processed foods. Research shows healthy, balanced nutrition helps you live longer and protects against heart disease, cancer, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Stay Connected: There are numerous studies that show that those who have strong relationships with family, friends and their community are happier, have fewer health problems, and live longer. Studies also have proved social interactions reduce the risk of depression and dementia, as well as lower stress levels.
- Don’t Smoke: In order to live a long, healthy life it is important to stop smoking, or better yet, never start! Cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and other products with nicotine harm almost every organ in your body. These products are directly linked to heart disease, cancer, lung and gum disease, and many other health problems.
Remember, it is never too early or too late to start creating healthy habits and making changes to your daily routine. By following these tips, you not only increase your chances of living a longer, healthier life, but you will be able to fully enjoy of second of it! For more information, visit WebMD.
