Aging gracefully is a common topic among both women and men, particularly as we learn more about what our bodies need and as we notice subtle changes with age. “Graceful” aging is often discussed with respect to looks, but far more important is maintaining your health as you age. Our health is our most important possession. Healthy aging looks slightly different for everyone, but the fundamentals are the same. Read on for some tips on how to keep up your health as time goes by.
Diet is everything
Everyone knows that watching what you eat is imperative to maintaining good health. But what you may be less conscious of is that your body’s dietary needs change as you get older. It is important to pay attention to your changing body, its cravings and what makes it feel worse, and to adjust your diet accordingly.
While your health care provider can help you make more personalized decisions about your body’s needs, there are some common changes that come up for most people and that might be worth considering. For example, as you age your bones begin losing calcium. This contributes to a higher risk of osteoporosis and other bone-related problems. You can counteract this by taking supplements high in calcium and other essential nutrients for bone health, like magnesium.
Hydrating also becomes more important as you age. Your skin begins losing elasticity throughout adulthood, becoming both thinner and drier. Proper hydration, as well as regular topical moisturization, can help restore some hydration, contributing to a more youthful and firm skin complexion. Taking warm showers rather than hot will also help with dryness or skin irritation. For a more aggressive elasticity retention strategy that also supports healthy bone, teeth, and gum health, collagen supplements can be extremely helpful. For more information about collagen and some potential supplement options, check out this great article.
Strength training and physical health
Exercise is always important at any stage in your life, but keeping up strength training in particular becomes more important with age. Muscle deterioration is a natural part of the aging process. Therefore, regular strength training will help retain muscle for longer. If you don’t already workout regularly, try putting together a simple workout routine that only takes a few minutes each day. Making it a habit now will help make it easier to keep up as you get older.
It may go without saying, but making regular visits to the doctor is incredibly important. It only becomes more important as you get older. Regular mammograms and pap smears, as well as your typical annual checkups, should never be missed. It is also important to give yourself regular physical checks at home, measuring things like your blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol levels. Along with the typical measurements, make sure you are also paying attention to the less-common concerns, like your eyesight. Even just consistently wearing sunglasses throughout your life can significantly decrease your risk of developing eye problems later, such as cataracts.
Don’t forget your brain
Cognitive health can be just as important as our physical health when it comes to healthy aging. As we get older, we begin drifting away from people. Our social circles grow smaller, and elderly people are more likely than younger people to report themselves as “lonely” in their daily lives. We use our brains less, particularly in retirement, and stop developing new connections within our brain to keep us sharp. To prevent this, pick up some stimulating hobbies for your brain now — things you enjoy doing now, but that you can also take with you into old age. These could include hobbies in the fine arts such as painting or sketching, or playing a musical instrument.
Emotional health is another big part of healthy cognitive function. Keeping up social connections with both family and friends is incredibly important to maintaining your emotional health. This also strengthens your brain and helps prevent cognitive deterioration such as dementia. Setting aside space each day to focus on your mental health can also play a big role in maintaining general happiness and contentment with your life. Using essential oils or CBD as relaxation aids along with a spiritual practice like meditation or yoga can help you become more attuned to your emotional health. For example, for an overall wellness boost and extra body support, you could try taking a biocbd+ Total Body Care CBD capsule along with your daily vitamins.
You decide what counts as “graceful”
Overall, your health is personal and it is yours. You are the only one who can decide what your body needs, and you should be making those decisions. Listen to your body. Listen to your brain. Remember that healthy aging is all about aging with your body, rather than trying to force it into conforming to unrealistic standards.
