Three individuals participate in an outdoor exercise session.

The Keys To Aging Healthfully

Taking care of your body is important at all ages, but it becomes crucial for living the life that you want as you get older. Eating a healthy diet and staying physically active are necessities for living a long, healthy, and happy life.

As we get older, making sure we’ve struck the right balance of physical activity and nutritious diet is crucial to ensuring our health and happiness. But as you’ll see below, these things can also prolong our lives, stave off or soothe the symptoms of chronic illness, and keep us mobile and agile for longer. 

But these prescriptive ways of living can often feel restrictive, too. Which is why they serve as guidelines only. Talk to your doctor about which lifestyles are best suited to you and your life, and remember to listen to and advocate for your body’s wants and needs. Then enjoy treating yourself well! 

Why Eating Healthy Pays Off

The foods we put into our body are crucial to affecting how we feel, reports LiveScience. Providing your body with the nutrients it needs, like vitamins, minerals, fats, protein, and carbohydrates will keep your organs, muscles, and bones healthy. Eating well also gives you the energy you need to enjoy your life, helps you maintain a healthy weight so that you can stay active, and aids with healthy digestion.

Exercise Matters, Too–For More Reasons Than You Think

Research has proven that staying active can prolong your life, according to Medical News Today, benefits people with heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and arthritis. And staying active isn’t only important for physical health. Your mental health is also greatly improved by staying active, too, according to the National Institute of Health. It provides long-term benefits and can help improve existing diseases and disabilities. Physical activity helps manage stress, improve your mood and reduce feelings of depression.

A healthy diet and active lifestyle may reduce your risk of many chronic ailments, including heart disease, stroke, and Type II diabetes. If you already have one or more of these chronic diseases, a healthy lifestyle can help you manage them, reports Health.gov.

A Few Easy Ways To Live Healthfully

  • Don’t add extra salt to your food
  • Replace white bread with whole-grain bread, and white rice with brown rice
  • Add more seafood, vegetables and fruits to your meals
  • Stay hydrated
  • Meditate, try yoga, or other holistic forms of exercise
  • Go for a walk a few times a week
  • Find activity that’s pleasurable for you–hiking, bird-watching, swimming, or any other form of being active that doesn’t feel like “exercise” 
  • Be compassionate with yourself and listen to your body. Mental health is just as important as every other kind of health