Feeling Fit and Healthy is Important at Any Age
As we get older, our bodies change. It doesn’t have to mean slowing down, becoming sedentary or being unwell. Regardless of age, there are key things that you can do to ensure that you stay fit and healthy at any age.
Maintaining physical and emotional strength helps you to live life to the fullest, in everything that you do, regardless of age. Staying fit and healthy can also reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases.
In this blog I have listed a few key areas that you can work on and improve to keep you feeling fit and healthy at any age.
Have a read and see how many of them you currently focus on?
Mindset
Ever heard the saying, ``Age is just a number.”
This is exactly right. How you view yourself and your mindset around your age has an impact. Do you say things to yourself like, I won’t do that until I'm older? Or I’m too old for that. Both statements are fixed mindsets and don’t necessarily allow for new opportunities or even put you in the right frame of mind to continue to do things like exercise and eat well. Some research has shown that a positive mindset may help prevent you from becoming sick.
Some people view aging in terms of wisdom and life satisfaction. They are 40% more likely to recover from a disability than those who view age as a burden or negativity, based on their mindset.
Stay mentally sharp
Studies have shown that those who keep their minds active may be less likely to develop dementia. Learning a new hobby or skill, or even activities like brain training all require the brain to do new things. This continuously builds new neural pathways (the little roads in our brains that deliver messages). Things like puzzles, reading, games can help to stimulate the mind and keep you mentally sharp.
Stay connected
We as humans are creatures of connection. Staying connected with friends, family and your local community may help you live longer. Research has shown that those with social social connections have a 50% chance of living longer. Likewise, staying connected helps with mood and may help with things like anxiety and depression.
Keep Moving
This is my favourite way to stay fit and healthy at any age. Movement plays such a huge role in preventing chronic diseases. It can also help significantly with mood. (For more on this, check out last month’s blog post)
It’s also important for bone health, digestion and even libido!
Movement has also been shown to help reduce age-related memory loss.
Another benefit that is not as commonly discussed, is also the impact exercise has on our own feelings of ‘strength’. When we move, we start to feel ‘strong’ in ourselves and that overall can have a powerful effect on our lives at any age.
Movement, particularly structured exercise, can increase our resilience to stress.
Nourish your body
Nutrition plays a major role in how your body ages. Stick to lots of fresh, whole ingredients including lean meat and fish, fresh vegetables and fruits, healthy fats, nuts and seeds. Whilst avoiding refined and processed sugars.
Oxidative damage in the body is seen as the major cause and the most important contributor to human aging. Therefore, making sure to include foods rich in antioxidants can help with slowing down this process.
Antioxidants are found in foods, such as:
Dark coloured berries and grapes
Artichokes
Beans
Beetroot
Kale,
Red cabbage
Dark chocolate
Eat moderately
Some studies have shown that overeating can lead to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and may lead to a shorter life span. It can also make you feel tired and sluggish.
Sleep
During sleep is when your body repairs and recovers. Lack of sleep can cause a variety of problems associated with mood, cardiovascular disease and obesity. Our brains and bodies require enough sleep for memory, learning of new information and to reset for the next day.
Preventative health rather than reactive
Moving from reactive health where you treat based on acute symptoms to more of a preventative health is another way to stay fit and healthy. Regular health check-ups with your GP as well as working with a nutritionist or naturopath can work within a preventative and wellness model of health too. Finding and addressing concerns early, when chances of treatment and resolution are higher. Staying on top of health screenings and all the points mentioned above can keep you fit and healthy at any age.
Laugh More:
We’ve all heard the saying, laughter is the best medicine. Laughter has many benefits, including:
Aids in oxygen intake and increases circulation.
It releases feel good chemicals that help with mood and pain reduction.
It helps with reducing stress.
It builds connection to those around us. Connection is important for mental and physical well being at any age.
Staying fit and healthy at every age is multifactorial. A variety of things like food, sleep, stress reduction, laughing, staying connected and focusing on the preventative aspect of health can all contribute to staying fit and healthy no matter what age you are.