Aging Well: What It Means and How to Achieve It
What does the term "aging well" mean to you? Staying healthy and feeling your best as you get older is a great way to ensure you are able to live your best life regardless of your age. It helps your body cope and acclimatize to the bodily changes that occur as people age and gives everyone a strong foundation for better health.
As you age, there are a number of life-changing events and transitions you are likely to go through, and these can take a toll on the body and mind. From experiencing drastic health changes, children leaving home, decreases in energy and fitness levels, retirement to career transitions, and more. There is a lot to contend with, and even if things are trouble-free, there are still significant adjustments within your life that you need to accommodate.
Aging well isn't about simply being fit and healthy, although that is part of the process. It is about a more holistic view of yourself, your life, those in it, and your impact on the world. It's not about trying to emulate a lifestyle or copy how other older people live; it's about living well for you within your capabilities and lifestyle to enhance your quality of life.
Coping with change, making your life work for you, understanding what is necessary, dispelling myths around aging, and being able to support yourself are all great tactics to help you face advanced years, whether you are in your 30s, 40s, or 70s. Let's take a look at some things you should be doing as you get older and areas of your life to focus on to support aging well.
Don't Neglect Dental Care
As you age, your mouth will undergo many changes, and you might experience issues such as tooth loss, gum erosion, tooth movement, increased dry mouth, and more. Sadly, some of these issues are part of aging, while others can be avoided entirely.
In the first instance, you need a good dental clinic you can trust to help you care for your mouth. Then, you need to embrace the best practices for improved oral care as you age, from flossing to changing toothbrushes to softer ones to avoid enamel or gum erosion, limiting foods that can damage teeth, stopping smoking, etc.
Talking to your dentist can inform you of any changes you might be experiencing and your treatment options moving forward. So, not only will you ensure your mouth looks good at all times, but you will also be keeping on top of your physical health by not making your body susceptible to certain illnesses and diseases due to poor oral care. Plus, those with more teeth left when they reach 70 live a longer life, so there's also that to consider.
Mental Health
We all know loneliness is a silent killer in senior communities across the world, and people are more likely to become more isolated as they get older due to changes in lifestyles. However, there has been a significant uptick in people over the age of 50 being diagnosed with mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and even dementia.
A staggering 14% of adults over 50 suffer from a type of mental health illness sand, and as many as 1 in 5 experience mental health conditions that are classified as outside of the normal part of aging.
So, how do you combat this? Mental health conditions can impact anyone at any age, and in the first instance, sharing how you feel is vital to help you get the support you need. Bottling things up and hiding away will only make everything feel worse and can impact your life drastically.
So whether you confide in someone you trust or your doctor, make it a point to be open about your current mental health to help you get the treatment you need.
However, suppose you want to avoid the risk of poor mental health in your senior years. In that case, things like staying active, practicing gratitude, reducing stress levels, talking to people, socializing, and finding hobbies you enjoy or activities you want to do can help you preserve your mental health.
Get Active
If you are concerned about a lack of movement as you age or about not being able to physically care for yourself or be as mobile as you need to be, it's never too late to work on your fitness levels.
Functional exercises, strength training, and mobility exercises can be instrumental in helping you remain mobile and flexible for as long as possible. Movements like squats can be great and help you be capable of standing up and sitting down in seats. Walking can help you stay active and build your stamina. Working on upper body strength means you can lift things or yourself should you be in a position to need to do that, i.e., after a fall.
This doesn't mean you need to be a gym bunny, but incorporating exercise into your routine that supports normal functional movement can be highly beneficial. It also boosts mental health, so it's a dual-benefit activity you need to do as you get older.
Learn Something New
"You can't teach an old dog new tricks" is a myth that has long been dispelled. These days, there is no reason why you cannot continue to do new things or learn something new regardless of your age. It might not come to you as easily as when you were younger, but the capacity for learning is within everyone, at all times.
It doesn't actually matter what you learn; you can learn anything you wish or try something new. The "what" doesn't matter; it's just that you are doing something.
As you get older, you are more at risk of cognitive decline, and the phrase "use it or lose it" is massively applicable here. This means that you need to put your brain to good use to keep it sharp. Just like your muscles, if you don't use your brain, you can lose some of its function.
This means engaging in different activities to push your brain and keep it active. It means engaging with others, so you need to be thinking about what you are doing. So whether you find new recipes to cook or even learn to cook, play a new sport, learn a new skill or language or anything else, get learning, push yourself mentally, and don't rest on your laurels or brain cells as the case may be, you don't lose them.
Be Positive
Aging well means finding things to be happy about. The happier and more content you are in life, the better you will feel and the more enjoyment you will get from things. Stress and negativity can eat away at you, and it's important to counterbalance anything negative in your life with the good things, even if everything seems bleak right now.
You can start a gratitude journal and write down three things that made you smile or that you are grateful for each day. You can look for a silver lining in the face of adversity or challenges. However, finding something that works for you is imperative to help you support a healthy aging approach for improved wellness.
Sleep
Sleep is the cornerstone of good health, and it's natural that your sleeping habits will change as you get older. However, finding a sleeping pattern that works for you and gets you enough restful sleep to help your body repair and rejuvenate is vital for good health and aging well.
Sleep deprivation is extremely harmful to the body, and it not only makes you feel worse and drains your energy, but it can increase the risk of mental health concerns, too.
Take some time to assess your current sleeping schedule and habits and work towards a healthy bedtime routine that gives your body what it needs and supports you as you need it to. Whether it's investing in a new mattress for a more comfortable sleep, changing the lighting in your bedroom, creating a new bedtime routine, changing the decor or your pre-bed activities, pay attention to what you do and how restorative your sleep is currently, and make the right changes for a better night's sleep.
As you can see, there is a lot involved in aging well and supporting your body as you get older. Luckily, it is never too early or too late to focus on how well you are aging. There are always small changes and tweaks you can make to improve your life and look, feel, and move around better, both mentally and physically.
Understanding what you need and implementing the right changes is essential, not what you think you need. Don't be afraid to be a bit selfish here and incorporate people, habits and activities that make you feel good.
Eat well, sleep well, move more, and prioritize mental health; before you know it, you'll believe in your best life at every age.
