Wellness Wednesday | Aging Well, No Matter Your Age
It's Wellness Wednesday. This week: we're talking about the habits of people who age well and how to set yourself up for success in the long run.
If we’re lucky, we’ll grow old. And yet, we do everything we can to avoid it—we buy serums to fight wrinkles, dye our hair and avoid any mention of our age. When it comes to aging, there’s a way to do it gracefully…but the fact of the matter is that growing old is part of the journey and we should celebrate a long life that’s been well lived.
Have a positive outlook
Aging is what you make it. And while we’re all inevitably going to age at some point or another, that doesn’t mean you have to lose that youthful radiance. A study was conducted to see if there was a link between outlooks on aging and a person’s ability to heal from a disability, and the results tell us a lot about the power of a positive outlook: older persons with positive age stereotypes are 44% more likely to recover from a disability. The bottom line? Try to appreciate the aging process and enjoy it—it could keep you young and healthy for even longer.
Take care of your body
At every age, it’s important to eat (healthy), sleep, exercise, repeat. Your body needs all three elements to stay healthy. As you get older, nutrition becomes more important—eating right can protect you from all sorts of diseases and illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. A great way to get your daily intake of nutrients is through the Mediterranean Diet—studies link it to higher bone density and muscle mass in older women. Eating more fruits, veggies, nuts, and whole grains is linked to long-term health. Exercise is equally important to keep bones strong and combat memory loss. Plus, 7-9 hours of sleep each night is crucial. Without it, you’re at higher risk for obesity, Alzheimers, diabetes, depression and more.
Stay social
Going through life with great friends makes everything easier. There’s a study that links social relationships with mental health and mortality—there’s a 50% increased likelihood of survival if you’ve got stronger social relationships to lean on. Don’t go it alone—life is more enjoyable if you celebrate it together, plus it could help to keep you healthy down the road.