Age Is Only a Number

Society emphasizes youth, offering everything from anti-aging creams to hair-replacement treatments. Rather than deny the natural progression of life, focus on creating a healthier body—with a mindset to complement it—at any age. Your twenty-fifth birthday may have been decades ago. That does not mean you can’t still celebrate it!

Strength Train

A study of seniors who regularly lifted weights showed genetic changes in cells. Their muscles became more like the muscles of twenty-year-olds. Grab some dumbbells and strengthen your inner youth.

Improve Your Balance

The middle years are spent trying to obtain life balance. As you approach the golden years, physical balance becomes the focus. Falls are a leading cause of injury in older adults. A fact that worries about one-third of adults over age of 65. Continuously working to maintain good balance is your best protection against falls and their subsequent injuries.

According to experts, older adults who practice long-term T’ai Chi can cut their risk of falls in half. Try this class for a more balanced and graceful day. Ask a personal trainer for other helpful balance exercises. Usually, they are gentle and can be done throughout the day.

Adjust Your Diet

Despite intense, sweat-soaking workouts, you still cannot eat like you did 30 years ago. Changes in metabolism cause older adults to need fewer calories. Make them count by focusing on dark and colorful produce, low-fat dairy and protein sources, and food fortified with extra B and D vitamins. Consider meeting with a nutritionist to determine your current nutritional needs. Create meals to improve any health issues you may be facing, such as osteoporosis, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.

Challenge Your Brain

Retirement might leave you with less analytical tasks to tackle. However, your brain still craves them to keep sharp. Work on puzzles, read mysteries, tutor children in subjects where you excel. Join classes on topics passionate to you.

Consider a fun second career. Perhaps you always wanted to become a fitness instructor or sports coach. Find out what it takes and make it happen. Create new opportunities to learn and grow. Added bonus: stronger memory retention over time.

Additionally, just 30 minutes of exercise, five days per week, can decrease your risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Regular exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which encourages new brain-cell growth.

Socialize

In addition to exercise, you can increase your mobility by getting out in the world. Meet up with friends. Have dinner with extended family. Start a book club. Follow trending news so you can participate in lively discussions with friends (or the person in the checkout line ahead of you).

As we age, opportunities for social interaction can easily decline if we aren’t proactive. Loneliness and depression can settle, leading to further inactivity and greater risk for health issues. Studies prove those with a strong social circle are happier and enjoy increased longevity.

Now Is the Time

Don’t stress over missed opportunities of your younger years. Use the wisdom you’ve gained to realize it’s never too late to live healthier. You still can lower your risk of health issues, including those aliments mistakenly thought as simultaneous with aging. Talk with your physician and meet with a personal trainer to determine the first step to a more youthful life.

Why Dread It?

Along with aging comes some unexpected but delightful surprises. Increased confidence, wisdom, reduced stress, and even a stronger likelihood of voting accompany the bifocals, increased grays, and that relentless kink in your back reminding you of youth’s skipped warmups.

Don’t fight nature. Embrace it. Work with it to become your healthiest at every age. Celebrate life like you’re twenty-something.

Sources

“Eat Healthy, Stay Fit, and Live Well Over 50,” at webmd.com

“14 Things No One Tells You About Aging,” at webmd.com

Image Credits

Berries: pixabay.com/en/berries-berry-strawberries-fruit-1225101/

Training: pixabay.com/en/yoga-therapy-frozen-shoulder-929843/

Senior walk: pixabay.com/en/old-couple-people-strangers-grunge-450742/

Grandfather and baby: pixabay.com/en/grandfather-grandpa-baby-love-1434575/