Numerous factors affect healthy aging. Some of these, like genetics, are beyond our control. Others — including exercise, a nutritious diet, regular check-ups with a physician, and looking after our mental well-being — are manageable. Research funded by NIA and other organizations has pinpointed actions you can undertake to help manage your health, lead a more independent life, and sustain your quality of life as you grow older. Continue reading to discover more about the research and the measures you can adopt to encourage healthy aging.
Taking care of your physical health
While researchers continue to explore ways to decelerate or prevent age-related declines in physical well-being, they’ve already uncovered numerous methods to enhance the likelihood of sustaining optimal health in later years. Caring for your physical health entails staying active, making nutritious dietary choices, ensuring adequate sleep, moderating your alcohol consumption, and actively overseeing your healthcare. Minor adjustments in each of these aspects can significantly aid healthy aging.
Get moving: Exercise and physical activity
Regardless of your feelings about it, physical activity is fundamental to healthy aging. Scientific data indicates that individuals who consistently exercise not only have longer lifespans but may also enjoy better quality years — translating to more time spent without pain or disability. Older adult, in a park, practicing yoga on a mat.
Research involving adults aged 40 and above revealed that taking 8,000 steps or more daily, in contrast to just 4,000 steps, was linked to a 51% reduced risk of mortality from all causes. You can boost your daily step count by engaging in activities that promote movement, such as gardening, walking your dog, and opting for stairs over an elevator.
While it offers many other advantages, exercise is a vital element for sustaining a healthy weight. Individuals with obesity face heightened risks of death, disability, and numerous ailments such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension. However, being underweight is not necessarily healthier either. Weighing too little as an older adult can undermine your immune system, elevate the risk of bone fractures, and may sometimes signal an underlying illness. Both obesity and being underweight can lead to muscle mass reduction, which may leave an individual feeling weak and easily fatigued.
As individuals age, muscle function frequently diminishes. Seniors might lack the energy to perform daily tasks and risk losing their independence. Nevertheless, exercise can aid older adults in preserving muscle mass as they grow older.
Alongside helping older adults enjoy a better quality of life, maintaining muscle mass can also assist them in living longer.
Source:https://quillbot.com