The Heart and Stroke Foundation reports many Canadians spend their last 10 years in poor health. It’s important to make lifestyle changes as soon as possible: Preferably NOW. Taking responsibility for your own health allows you to continue leading a productive life.
8 Tips for a Healthy Life
1. Start or continue an active lifestyle. For the novice exerciser, this can involve merely walking more each day and doing a few minutes of calisthenics and stretches. For the veteran exerciser, now is the time to stop your high-intensity exercise sessions. Killing yourself at each workout will actually age you faster, and slows the efficiency of your immune system. Change your pace to a more moderate, enjoyable one.
2. Eat sensibly and healthfully to maintain or improve your health. Your food choices should be as unprocessed and unchanged by humans as possible. Whole, natural foods contain everything nature provides to keep our bodies functioning efficiently. Check that your diet offers the nutrients most commonly needed as we age: Folic acid is rich in fruits, veggies, and beans; Vitamin B12 is in all meats, dairy and seafood; vegetable oils, nuts and seeds are rich in Vitamin E; Vitamin D is in milk, fish, fortified cereals, and exposure to the sun; dairy products, several green leafy vegetables, the bones of fish, and legumes are rich in Calcium.
3. Ignore stereotypes about aging. Just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean you are starting to decline physically and mentally. Avoid those who treat you as though you are. And if you can’t avoid them (a close family member, perhaps?), talk with them to express your discomfort with their treatment of you.
4. Socialize. Engaging with others helps avoid depression and feeling isolated. Being in the company of friends encourages feelings of happiness and optimism. Consider volunteering to meet more friends.
5. Keep learning. Challenge your mind so it continues to grow and develop. Learn to play the guitar, learn a new language, or join a chess club.
6. Stop any bad habits. Avoid drinking alcohol to excess. If you smoke, make an extreme effort to stop. Confirm that you really do need those over-the-counter medications.
7. Forgive and forget. Make amends with those whom you have crossed and those who have crossed you. Holding onto anger will ruin your good health.
8. Avoid buying “youth-enhancing” products that sound too good to be true. Our general fear of aging is being exploited by clever marketers, so do your research on those anti-aging creams, pills, etc. Aging is not a disease. You do not need to be “fixed” because nothing is broken; it’s natural to age. Do it proudly!
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Eve Lees has been active in the health & fitness industry since 1979. Currently, she is a Freelance Health Writer for several publication and speaks to business and private groups on various health topics.