1) Move Regularly:
Regular physical activity is so important for people of all age groups. In older age in particular we know that it can help you sleep better, improve your appetite, prevent various diseases, lower your risk of falls and improve your mental health too.
You don’t even need to get a lot of exercise to reap the benefits. 30 minutes a day of medium intensity is enough to open up your airways, improve your heart health and strengthen your muscles. You don’t even need to do it all at once! You can do your 30 minutes in three lots of ten minutes if you prefer. Of course if you haven’t exercised in a while or feel unsteady on your feet you should talk with your health care provider before you start a new exercise regime.
2) Meditate:
How many times do you hear about successful people who meditate daily? Well there is a good reason why these people are successful and why they look so healthy! There are a lot of health benefits to meditating, such as it lowering your blood pressure and reducing your anxiety. There are 42 twenty minute time slots in the day, so if you can dedicate 2 of those timeslots to meditating, you will be on the path to ageing well.
3) Eat well:
Following a healthy eating plan helps you to maintain strong energy levels, keeps you at a healthy weight and provides your body with great nutrition to keep a strong immune system. The simplest way to ensure that you are eating healthily is to ensure that you eat mostly whole foods over processed foods, that you eat foods with a variety of colours and that you drink adequate water.
4) Laugh and smile:
Ever heard the expression that laughter is the best medicine? Ever felt like your mood has been lifted when someone smiles at you?
If you are wanting to go down the path of healthy ageing, try to ensure you do it with a smile and a sense of humour. Surrounding yourself with friends who make you smile and laugh, or putting on a funny movie are just a couple of ways to ensure you get those endorphins going. Do what makes you smile or laugh, and do it regularly!
5) Set goals and challenge yourself:
Do not ever think that because you are a certain age that you no longer have goals to achieve or should not push the limits anymore. More and more research is showing that to be able to get the most out of your rehab or exercise program you need to set yourself achievable goals and ensure that you are working at a moderate to high intensity. Even try something new like a new sport or hobby. Or even try weight lifting! The only person telling you that you can not do it is yourself!