They say that “old age is not for sissies,” and “they” are not kidding. The aging process is unavoidable and often difficult. Aging well is more than a matter of endurance and determination, though. You can live a longer and healthier life by making a few reasonable preparations for the inevitable aging process. Read the tips below for ways to make the journey more pleasant.
Determine how much sleep your body needs a night and then make sure you get it. Lack of good regular sleep is a possible cause of premature aging. Just because you’re getting older does not mean that you need less sleep. Our bodies function better when they have had a full nights sleep. Studies have shown that it is very hard to recover from a sleep deficit so keep to a pattern as much as possible.
If you worry about aging skin and wrinkles, stay away from the sun! Of course, we all like a little sun, but too much exposure can cause premature aging of the skin as well as increasing the risk of skin cancer. Tanning beds also pose the same risks, maybe even to a greater extent, as people tend to overuse them.
Did you know that high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes are risk factors for dementia? These risks become more severe due to smoking, lack of exercise and high cholesterol. As we age, it becomes increasingly important to control these disorders in order to maintain good mental health as aging progresses.
Exercise can improve the aging process. As we get older, our muscle mass naturally declines, making everyday activities more difficult and reducing the number of calories we burn. While aerobic exercise helps maintain muscle mass and control weight, resistance exercise has the added benefit of helping maintain bone mass.
To help your mindset while aging, toss out any numbers that aren’t really important, specifically your weight, your height and most importantly your age. These numbers may be important for your doctor (and they should be), but for daily living they are just barriers to the many, many things that are possible for you to do.
To make sure you are getting a proper amount of nutrients in your life as you age, try drinking smoothies, three to four times each week. Smoothies taste great and are chock full of good things. They typically contain up to five nutritional servings of fruits and vegetables. Even better, smoothies are rather filling, so as a light lunch or a snack, they can help you control your cravings and lose weight!
Sit down and write. This can be in a journal, blog, a letter or even writing a book or poem. Writing will exercise your brain because it makes you think. It is also a great way to express yourself and generate new ideas. These things will keep you feeling wonderful and alive.
Growing older is one trial that you know with certainty you will have to face. It is never too early to start learning about the aging process and preparing yourself for it. A few helpful hints like the ones presented above can help you cope with aging by staying healthy and happy as the years roll on.
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