There’s no getting around it, we’re all going to get older as the days, months and years go by. It can be a sobering thought for some, but you know what? You can grow old without growing sick or living a less fulfilling life – people do it daily. As long as you take care of yourself as you age, you will find that being older is an exciting and enjoyable experience. Here are some quick tips to help you care for your body as you age:
Look After Your Bones
As you age, especially if you’re a woman, your bones may start to get more brittle and even a little thinner. If you aren’t careful, this could lead to some nasty injuries. Luckily, you can mitigate your chances of suffering from osteoporosis by doing weight-bearing exercises and upping your calcium intake.
Keep Your Heart Healthy As Your Body Ages
The heart is often the thing that we worry about when we think about getting old, and although it’s true that lots of older people do suffer from heart-related illnesses, it isn’t a foregone conclusion.
It’s fairly easy to keep your heart healthy by doing regular cardio activity, eating a healthy diet, and losing weight if needed. If you’re worried about your heart and health, see a doctor who will be able to advise you on taking better care of your heart now and as you age.
Maintain Your Brain
The prospect of getting dementia in old age is probably one of the most frightening for most of us. Losing your memory and sense of self is a terrifying prospect, which is why you should start taking better care of your brain now.
You can do this by keeping mentally active – doing crossword puzzles, jigsaws, etc., – staying active, and eating a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and Omega-3 fatty acids – all of which feed your brain and give you a mental boost.
Your Body As You Age: Monitor Your Hearing
Many older folks experience some degree of hearing loss as they age, and some eventually end up deaf. Thankfully, there are some things you can do to try and prevent this.
For one thing, you should keep your headphones at safe levels and see an audiologist immediately if you notice any changes to your hearing and at least once a year after you hit 50. You should also take breaks from listening to music or loud noises at regular intervals. Use ear protection at gigs or when doing noisy DIY tasks too.
Take Care of Your Teeth
As we age, the enamel that offers protection from decay can begin to wear away. That leaves teeth discolored and more prone to cavities.
However, taking good care of your teeth is as simple as brushing thoroughly but gently at least twice a day, flossing daily, and avoiding acidic or sugary foods and drinks that weaken the teeth.
Nurture Your Skin
Our skin will wrinkle and sag to some degree as we get older, but we can minimize how much our skin is affected by giving up smoking, using sunscreen daily, moisturizing regularly, and eating a healthy diet rich in omega fatty acids and vitamin E.
Look after your body, and it will look after you. I wish you health, happiness, and longevity.
Top photo: By taking care of your body, aging can be a wonderful experience. The grandma shown here likely agrees! Pixabay, CC0 Public Domain.
Wonderful advice Christy – words to age gracefully by :)
Let’s keep smilin’, Joan :)
I try to do my best to keep as young at heart and body as I can. I do worry about dementia as my gran had that. I’d recommend tai chi as it is a gentle meditative exercise and you have to remember the moves!
I’m so glad you’ve found tai chi, MJ! :)
It is essential that we take care of our health. Even more so as we age.
Truth!! Thank you, Susan xx
Just loving your helpful tip articles Christy. Lord knows I worried about aging when I was in my 20s. I did the best I could in all departments and I’m still fighting the process, lol. :) xx
You look beautiful!! It’s our spirits that keep us young :)
Aw thanks Christy. And you are sooooo right. :) <3
Many hugs <3
Christy, it seems you’re riding the wave of creativity these days. Maybe you’d like to write one of your inspirational life hack posts for my blog? I used to do author features every Friday and don’t have the time now so only do them every other Friday. On the in between Fridays I like to post inspirational things and I’d love to share one of yours as a feature instead of a reblog? :)
Hi Debby, wow, that would be great! I’d love to do an inspirational post for you. Feel free to suggest a topic if you have one in mind. I’ll send you a note through the contact form on your site in a few minutes. If you don’t get it then let me know and I’ll resend it. ♥
Fabulous! I did receive it Christy. I’ll be replying later. <3 Must dash to Father's Day get together for hubby. <3 xo
Thanks for the note Debby and private reply :) I hope your hubby has an amazing Father’s Day ♥
Thanks sweety. <3
Good advice.
Appreciative!
Beautifully concise and informative post, lovingly delivered. Well done, Christy. It’s a good reminder for all.
Thank you, Ka. I appreciate your posts too. Here’s to living life to the fullest ♥
All good advice, Christy. <3 <3 <3
Sending so much love ♥ ♥ ♥
Worth reading article when you are growing by age!! Important points for consideration!! Thank you!!
Cheers to aging in a healthy, happy way!
Another informative post, Christy! As I am getting older, I am certainly becoming more aware of my body and listening to it more. Sometimes I get tired easily or my muscles will ache more than it did quite a few years ago. It sort of make me hope that I would have lived a more healthier life previously. But of course, it’s never too late to start. Agree what one of the most important things to look after is the heart and the brain – we can’t live without both. Maintaining both physical, emotional and mental well-being is essential to living a comfortable life :)
Hi Mabel, thank you for picking up on the most important aspects of this post. As you explain, it is not only the body but also the mind that we need to take care of for us to enjoy the highest quality of life. I hope you are not achy today, dear friend :)
I feel still very young at my almost 59. I remember how I thought that was such an old age when I was 18.
It’s all so, we have to take good care of ourselves, nobody else will.
Calcium intake through supplements or synthetic calcium resulted in calcium deposits in the soft tissue (artery calcification), and people who underwent tests showed that most of synthetically supplemented calcium was excreted through urine or did not reach the bones, meaning, it did not get where we would like it to go. Therefore, one has to ask their doctor for other more effective forms of calcium in serious deficiency and also consume food that naturally contains calcium.
Brain must be definitely kept busy, it is like any other part of us: use it or lose it. For the brain to keep the existing neurons and synapses, or even develop new ones, it won’t be enough with puzzles or crosswords. Trial with recorded results showed that the most boost in brain activity among 3 groups (one did more physical activity, long walks, etc; 2nd group did puzzles and crosswords; 3rd group regardless of participants’objections that they had no clue was painting and drawing) achieved the art practicing group. In order to have impact on the brain activity, we must make the brain stretch itself, all parts must be used, this must be new and challenging, but not that difficult that there is no pleasure, etc. Art fulfills all requirements, however, this won’t be achieved copying, tracing and similarly: it has to be from scratch and involve lots of exploration. Painting is decision making. It is signaling visual images to hand with pencil or brush. It works.
Really a good piece of information!
This is really so true Christy..i will be 41 in a few days but i do regular exercise and yoga and i can run 5k most people younger than me can’t….i have given birth to 4 girls who are all grown up now but people always wonder how i keep.myself so fit…the answer is exactly what you said..take care of ourselves as it will take care of us back..
Hi Christy. I’m not exactly hating getting older because I feel well and enjoy life at the moment. The main thing I fear, in addition to things like cancer which can catch even the healthiest people out, is dementia. Keeping my brain active is something I do naturally, so I’m hoping that will be enough to keep the dreaded dementia at bay.
;-)
Great tips here! It’s so easy to neglect ourselves when we are taking care of others. I guess we should take care of ourselves now so we can stay strong and independent later.
Hi Christy…
Interesting article and as I read it is easy to see where I am paying the price for neglect over the years. Great advice throughout I just learned I have Osteopenia and have started a regime of a higher Calcium intake through the foods I eat, plus supplements in an attempt to stop the progression into the next stage being Osteoporosis.
In either case not nice but glad to have learned much through research and articles like yours…
Hugs from Alberta