Of course, there are classic tropes we all know about getting older and aging. There are the people who don’t want their kids to talk about how old they are, or the couple who starts refer to themselves as being a few years younger than they actually are. Ultimately, getting older is something that every human on the planet will experience. It’s unavoidable! And for many, the sooner that you learn to accept aging as a natural process, the sooner you will start to see getting older as something you can look forward to with excitement. If you can’t avoid it, why not embrace it?
It is with total certainty that you can begin to age, and aging won’t have to mean that you have to change the standards you hold yourself to. No matter your age, there’s no reason not to pursue a new dream, embrace a new passion, or learn a new hobby just because of your age. You’re never too old to start new chapters in your life, and you’re never too young to take care of yourself.
What’s more, it is an inescapable fact that physical health is completely and intrinsically tied to mental health. And as you age, being aware and cosncious of healthy living for seniors is just as important as healthy living for younger folks. It’s important to feel good, and stay in shape physically too. By focusing on elderly health, you can gain more self confidence and feel at peace as you age.
Just because you are getting older does not mean that you have to give up your identity or sense of self. In fact, by aging, you have the ability to start to form your identity even more. And one of the most important things you can do in your lifetime is make preventative medicine a priority from the beginning, so by the time you are a senior you have made sure to lay groundwork for decades of healthy senior years.
Eating Well 101
One of the tricks to preventative care as you live your life before your elderly years is to eat well. The classic saying goes—you are what you eat—and it’s a phrase that is founded in real fact.
By paying attention to nutrition, your aging body will not have to fight against processed foods. You might miss the good ol’ days of french fries and burgers, but the fact is that by avoiding foods we know to be bad for us, and focusing on the healthy and natural foods our bodies were meant to consume, you will feel healthier and better in your older body.
While stress and anxiety can make fast food, alcohol, and fried foods seem appealing, as you get older, you will feel the consequences of consuming these unhealthy foods and beverages when you wake up the following day, and can cost you your health in the long run.
But, it’s true that it’s not easy to change your diet from one day to the next. And, caring about what you eat does not have to be linked to a desire to lose weight—while making sure you are not overweight while you are older is another path to being the healthiest you can be, eating healthy is more important than just being about weight. It’s about your body staying in good working order as you get older, to avoid medical issues down the road.
Preventative Care To Age Gracefully
As many people age, and problems with health and medical issues start to arise, they begin to wish they started taking healthy preventative measures earlier on in their lives, before it was too late. Once you reach your senior years, if you did not lay a groundwork of healthy living beforehand, you might have trouble with your body and mental health down the road. That is why preventative care is essential to start as soon as you are able.
One of the best ways to take care of yourself preventatively is to make sure you go for your annual physical check-ups. Each and every year. This is important because your body needs to be cared for. Oftentimes, doctors will discover problems or medical issues early on in your annual check up, and you can take care of these problems before they turn into something much bigger later, that is harder to cure. Or, you can start to become more aware of problems you uniquely have while you go to your annual check ups over the years, and that way you can start to tailor your life to your unique personal health, with all the self awareness and knowledge of what your body needs and doesn’t need from a younger age.
Another major concern in taking a preventative approach to your health is to get enough sleep. If you are not getting enough sleep, the consequences of that will start to build up over time. While you might think that sleeping in the day after a night out is making up the sleep you lost, but if you do that all the time, the lack of sleep you experienced starts to add up. Studies show more and more that diseases like Alzheimers are directly linked to a lack of sleep in the more youthful years. It’s another reason to show that by taking care of your body when you’re younger, you will be saving yourself medical hardship when you’re older.
Mental Health For Seniors
Many people do not think about mental heatlth as something that should be taken into account in your daily lives. What’s more, if you do not focus on your mental health when you are younger, it might be hard to incorporate healthy practices into your daily lives to encourage and foster mental health when you are older.
Like going to the gym, you can’t just go to the gym for the first time and expect to run a mile right after. Mental health is similar—without ample practice and time dedicated to fostering mental health, it is difficult to arrive in a place of health and peace. Feeling good mentally and being healthy mentally and emotionally is something that must be fostered each and every day, just like people who go to the gym each day to be physically fit overall.
Luckily, there are plenty of easy ways to be mindful and pay attention to your mental health. Meditation is easy to do anywhere, especially in the comfort of your own home, and there are plenty of apps and virtual meditation classes that can be done through your phone or online. Companies like Headspace offer resources for mental health to people of all ages, and it’s easy to find Headspace discounts as well.
By Admin –
