Healthy Aging Tips from the Experts!
September is Healthy Aging Month! We sat down with a few of our favorite industry experts to get their tips for healthy aging. Making positive changes to your health can help you live a longer, happier, and more independent life!
You are what you eat
Healthy living starts with a healthy diet. While this is true at any age, food choices become even more important as we get older. Several of the experts we spoke to emphasized the importance of healthy eating as a key to healthy aging.
Mary Kay Crepinsek is a former nutrition policy researcher and current leader of evidence-based Healthy Living Programs for older adults through the Massachusetts Healthy Living Center of Excellence. She told us that, as we age, we tend to need fewer calories but the same amount or more of key nutrients like protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. We should be choosing a variety of nutrient-dense foods across and within all the food groups.
According to Mary Kay, “a healthy eating plan should emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. It should also include lean meats, poultry, fish, dry beans (legumes), eggs, and nuts. Try to avoid saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugar. It is also important to balance calorie intake with calorie needs.”
Live an active life
Like healthy eating, physical activity is also important at any age, but was identified by several of the experts as a critical component of healthy aging. Robyn Shea, RN, Client Services Manager at Senior Helpers advised us to, “get outside or just get moving! Find something you like and do it regularly.”
“There is nothing more important to healthy aging than being physically active,” says Mary Kay Crepinsek. “Consistent physical activity helps older adults stay independent and prevent or reduce the risk of many health problems that come with age, including cancer, dementia, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and depression; and improves bone health, physical function, and quality of life.”
“Get outside or just get moving! Find something you like and do it regularly.”
Physical activity also lowers the risk of falls and related injuries. In addition to at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic or endurance activities, the latest Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that older adults do muscle-strengthening two or more times a week, as well as balance training activities. And, even small bouts of activity like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, contribute to your weekly activity.
You can contact your local Council on Aging or elder services agency for free or low-cost physical activity workshops, including balance training, Tai Chi and yoga targeted specifically for falls prevention.
Go4Life, an exercise and physical activity campaign from the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health, is designed to help you fit exercise and physical activity into your daily life. It includes comprehensive printed and online guides with instructions and photographs for endurance, strength, balance and flexibility activities.
Take care of your body and mind
In addition to eating healthy and staying active, Robyn Shea, RN, pointed out several other ways we can take care of our bodies and minds.
Get enough sleep. Sleep schedules are essential to quality of life and feeling your best. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults age 65 and over get 7–8 hours of sleep per night.
Reducing stress can help improve physical health. Find practices that help you reduce the stress in your life. We cannot totally avoid stress, but we can find ways to deal with it.
Practice good prevention. Correct hand washing, use of assistive devices to prevent falls, vaccines, and taking your medications are all ways to prevent illnesses and accidents that can have a negative impact on physical health.
Work your brain. Participate in activities (with others and/or alone) that exercise your brain. Take a class, do a puzzle, read a book… Robyn Shea, RN encouraged us to “never ever stop learning!”
Stay connected
Preventing social isolation is vital to healthy aging. Robyn Shea, RN, cautioned that, “retirement, health issues, and loss of spouse/friends can lead people down a rabbit hole of loneliness.”
Erin Kopecki of Tucked In Eldercare gave us a few suggestions for how to stay involved: “volunteer, take an art or gym class, invite a friend to get a coffee or go on a walk. It’s so important to remain social, as it is easy to become isolated. Wake up with a purpose for each day — even if it’s a simple one.”
Don’t wait for the other shoe to drop
Pamela Greenfield, Esq. of Greenfield Planning Group is an elder law and estate planning attorney. She advised us not to wait for the other shoe to drop to seek care. “If you can get supportive care and services before a crisis, you can often live longer and enjoy a better quality of life. Even though it’s common for people to not want to seek help before they feel it is needed, it can often keep them more independent in the long run.”
Also, plan, plan, plan! Pam explained that, “everything is better managed before a crisis hits. See an elder law attorney to do advanced planning rather than crisis planning.” Robyn Shea, RN also suggests meeting with a financial planner to help you better plan for the future.
Surround yourself with positivity
“If you surround yourself with positive, energetic, and happy people (of any age) you’ll notice that you’ll be happier too!”
Having a positive attitude can help strengthen your relationships, improve your coping skills, increase self-esteem, and protect your health. For a more positive outlook on life, try practicing gratitude. It can sometimes be easier to focus on all the things you can no longer do, or all the losses in life, rather than on the remaining good things. Each day, write down a couple of things you’re thankful for, no matter how big or small.
Spend time with positive people who lift you up, rather than drag you down. Erin Kopecki suggests that you “surround yourself with those you love, who bring positivity into your everyday life. If you surround yourself with positive, energetic, and happy people (of any age) you’ll notice that you’ll be happier too!”
Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
“We are all interdependent, even though we don’t necessarily recognize it,” says Beth Soltzberg, MSW, MBA, director of the Alzheimer’s/Related Disorders Family Support Program at Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Boston. “Even the most active person is likely to face some health challenges as the years go by. Cultivate the art of asking for help, as well as offering help to others. Not only does this help us get necessary things accomplished, but it strengthens our bonds with other people.”
“Cultivate the art of asking for help”
It’s never too late to start making healthy choices
Every day, we are faced with choices that impact our health: What should I eat? What do I want to do today? Who should I spend my time with? It is how we think about such questions and what we do about them that determines our lifestyle.
“The key to healthy aging is a healthy lifestyle,” says Robyn Shea, RN. “We are a direct reflection of our daily choices.” To celebrate Healthy Aging Month this September, we hope to inspire you to take control of your health! It’s never too late to make start making healthy choices.
