Healthy Aging: Habits and Tips

Healthy aging is all about your daily choices, making the right decisions can help improve the health of your future. The two main areas to focus on making healthy decisions are diet and exercise. Making healthy choices in these areas can decrease your risk for diseases, delay health issues associated with aging and increase your independence. Start by setting goals for your exercise routine and diet and maintenance of these habits.

The National Institute of Aging suggests these 5 tips for healthy aging.

1. Try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most or all days of the week.
2. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
3. Choose foods that are low in added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium.
4. Pick whole grains and lean sources of protein and dairy products.
5. Practice all four types of exercise- endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility.

Physical Activity:

These five tips are great goals to pursue to promote healthy aging. Being physically active will help increase your energy levels and increase your strength. Promoting physical health will help you stay safe and independent for longer. It is important to practice all four types of exercise to ensure well-rounded physical capabilities. Endurance exercises help increase heart and breathing rate and improve the health of your lungs, heart, and circulatory system. Strength exercises increase independence and personal capabilities for daily activities and reduce fall risk. Balance exercises are another great way to decrease your fall risk and increase your overall safety. Flexibility exercises help you move more freely with daily activities such as tying your shoes.

Diet Tips:

Eating fruits and vegetables will help give you the nutrients you need each day. Pairing fruits and vegetables with whole grains, lean sources of protein and dairy products will give you a complete meal with energy to last you through the day. Picking healthy food options will decrease your risk for heart disease and diabetes. Limit added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium to improve heart health and decrease disease risk. As your metabolism slows down with age it is important to choose healthy and filling foods to promote your overall health and give you energy for daily life.

If you want more information on healthy aging with tips for safe exercise and physical activities look through the National Institute of Aging’s free publication: “Get Fit For Life: Exercise and Physical Activity for Healthy Aging”.