{"id":4305,"date":"2023-03-06T16:23:47","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T16:23:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gray-dotterel-955238.hostingersite.com\/?page_id=4305"},"modified":"2026-04-10T08:51:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T08:51:42","slug":"aging-well","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gray-dotterel-955238.hostingersite.com\/index.php\/aging-well\/","title":{"rendered":"Aging Well"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The second half of your life can bring some of your most rewarding decades. You may be more confident than your younger self. You gain wisdom and patience. Sure, your hair sprouts more grays and your face sports more lines. But you can grow older with your body and mind as healthy as they can possibly be.<\/p>

Here are science-backed secrets to do just that.<\/p><\/section>

Take Stock<\/span><\/h6>

Staying on top of your health is much more than getting care when you don\u2019t feel good. See your doctor for regular checkups. (And don\u2019t forget about your\u00a0dentist\u00a0and\u00a0eye doctor.)<\/p>

These visits can help find problems early or even before they start. The tests you need depend on things like your age, gender,\u00a0family history, and whether you smoke or exercise.<\/p>

Your doctor may want to check for these things, among others:<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Cholesterol levels<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>High blood pressure<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Cervical cancer<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Colon cancer<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Breast cancer<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Prostate cancer<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Osteoporosis<\/p><\/section>

Eat Whole Foods<\/span><\/h6>

It\u2019s more a way of eating than a formal diet. You load up on veggies, fruits,\u00a0whole grains, nuts, and low-fat dairy. You eat less fatty meats, butter,\u00a0sugar, salt, and packaged foods.
Many studies have found that this\u00a0diet\u00a0can help you live longer and protects against\u00a0heart disease,\u00a0cancer, Parkinson\u2019s, and Alzheimer\u2019s disease. Researchers believe one way it works is by physically changing parts of your chromosomes linked to age-related diseases.<\/p><\/section>

Walk<\/span><\/h6>

Aim for 30 minutes every day.\u00a0If that\u2019s too much, break it up into shorter strolls. Regular\u00a0exercise\u00a0— especially if you do it briskly enough to feel a little breathless — delivers huge health benefits. It helps keep\u00a0brain\u00a0cells healthy by delivering more\u00a0blood\u00a0and oxygen. In fact, research suggests aerobic exercise may delay or improve symptoms of Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/span><\/p>

It also helps:<\/span><\/p>

\u2666<\/span><\/strong>Control your\u00a0weight<\/span><\/p>

\u2666<\/span><\/strong>Boost your mood<\/span><\/p>

\u2666<\/span><\/strong>Keep bones and muscles strong<\/span><\/p>

\u2666<\/span><\/strong>Helps you\u00a0sleep\u00a0better<\/span><\/p>

\u2666<\/span><\/strong>Makes you less likely to get heart disease,\u00a0type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol<\/span><\/p><\/section>

Stay Connected<\/span><\/h6>

Loneliness is harmful to your health. If you feel lonely — whether you live alone or with someone, have lots of friends or none — you are more likely to get dementia or\u00a0depression. Seniors who report feeling left out and isolated have more trouble with everyday tasks like bathing and climbing stairs. They also die earlier than less lonely folks do. Researchers found that lonely people have higher levels of stress hormones that cause\u00a0inflammation, or swelling, linked to\u00a0arthritis\u00a0and\u00a0diabetes. Another study found more antibodies to certain herpes viruses in lonely people, a sign of\u00a0stress\u00a0in their\u00a0immune system. So stay connected or make new friends. Do volunteer work or simply help someone in need. Just connect.<\/p><\/section><\/div>

Add Fiber<\/span><\/h6>

It\u2019s an easy way to eat your way to better health with every meal and\u00a0snack. Swap out your white bread for whole grain. Add kidney beans to your soup or apple slices to your salad. Fiber fills you up and for longer. It cuts your\u00a0cholesterol levels\u00a0and lowers your chance of heart disease,\u00a0type 2 diabetes, and\u00a0colon cancer.<\/p>

It also helps you avoid\u00a0constipation, which is more common in older adults. After age 50, men should aim for 30 grams of fiber a day and women should get 21 grams a day.<\/p><\/section>

Curb Bad Habits<\/span><\/h6>

Tobacco\u00a0kills. It harms almost every organ in your body. Cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and other products with nicotine cause heart disease, cancer, lung and gum disease, and many other health problems. It\u2019s never too late to quit. Your body begins to heal within 20 minutes of your last cigarette. Your chance of a\u00a0heart attack\u00a0goes down right away. In a year, your odds of heart disease drop by half. You\u2019ll also live longer. Ask your doctor for help.<\/p>

Too much\u00a0alcohol\u00a0can harm your\u00a0liver\u00a0and cause some kinds of cancer. Men shouldn\u2019t have more than two drinks a day; women should have no more than one. If you drink more than that, talk to your doctor about cutting back.<\/p><\/section>

Try Tai Chi<\/span><\/h6>

This gentle Chinese exercise combines slow movements and deep\u00a0breathing. It\u2019s like meditating while you move.<\/p>

Tai chi may help older people avoid falls, a top cause of injury among seniors. It also can:<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Ease\u00a0stress<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Improve balance<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Strengthen muscles<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Increase flexibility<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Lessen arthritis\u00a0pain<\/p><\/section>

Select Supplements<\/span><\/h6>

It\u2019s often better to get your nutrients from food, not a pill. And you usually don\u2019t need special\u00a0supplements\u00a0aimed at seniors.<\/p>

After age 50, your body does need more of some vitamins and\u00a0minerals\u00a0from foods or supplements than before. They include:<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Calcium\u00a0(to keep bones strong)<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Vitamin D\u00a0(Most people get it from sunlight, but some seniors may not get out enough.)<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Vitamin B12\u00a0(Older people have trouble absorbing it from foods, so you may need fortified cereals or a supplement.)<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Vitamin B6\u00a0(It keeps your red blood cells strong to carry oxygen throughout your body.)<\/p>

Tell your doctor about any supplements you take so you can avoid bad interactions with any medications or treatments<\/p><\/section><\/div>

Stay Optimistic<\/span><\/h6>

Life tests us in many ways. Loved ones die, layoffs happen, and health problems can mount. But positive thinking can be a powerful ally. When you choose to be optimistic and grateful, your mind and body respond in kind.<\/p>

People with a rosier outlook live longer and have fewer heart attacks and\u00a0depression\u00a0than more negative people. One study found that thinking positively about getting older can extend lifespan by 7.5 years. And that\u2019s after accounting for things such as gender, wealth, and overall health.<\/p>

A rosy outlook may help you exercise more and eat better. And that in turn helps you stay hopeful and happy because you feel better. You may hear that called a \u201cvirtuous circle.\u201d<\/p>

If you see the glass half full, it could play an even bigger role in\u00a0living better\u00a0and longer than things such as low blood pressure and cholesterol, which have each been shown to increase life span by about 4 years.<\/p>

You can learn to be optimistic. It just takes time and practice. Things you can do include:<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Smile, even fake smile. It can help lower stress.<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Reframe. Spin your thoughts to the good things instead of dwelling on the bad.<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Keep a gratitude journal.<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Do good things for others.<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Surround yourself with people who boost your spirits.<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Accept things you can\u2019t change.<\/p><\/section>

Stick to Sleep<\/span><\/h6>

Insomnia\u00a0is common in older adults. It\u2019s when you have a harder time falling and staying asleep. It helps to wake and\u00a0sleep\u00a0on schedule every day. That can help keep your body clock in sync so you get the sleep you need.<\/p>

Also try and:<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Keep your bedroom dark. Turn off your TV, cell phone, and laptop.<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Avoid\u00a0caffeine\u00a0or alcohol in the evening.<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Don\u2019t nap longer than 20 minutes during the day.<\/p>

\u2666<\/span> <\/strong>Ask your doctor if any of your meds might be keeping you awake.<\/p><\/section><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The second half of your life can bring some of your most rewarding decades. You may be more confident than your younger […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-4305","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"col-md-12"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_hostinger_reach_plugin_has_subscription_block":false,"_hostinger_reach_plugin_is_elementor":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gray-dotterel-955238.hostingersite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gray-dotterel-955238.hostingersite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gray-dotterel-955238.hostingersite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gray-dotterel-955238.hostingersite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gray-dotterel-955238.hostingersite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4305"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/gray-dotterel-955238.hostingersite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4305\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9666,"href":"https:\/\/gray-dotterel-955238.hostingersite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4305\/revisions\/9666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gray-dotterel-955238.hostingersite.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}