You’ve decided you want to make some changes towards living healthy while you age, but aging isn’t for the faint of heart and you’re not sure where to start?
Fear not! Below are three best practices for healthy aging to get you started on your journey towards becoming the healthiest version of yourself.
Throttle back Your Stress
Cultivating and sustaining habits is nearly impossible if your stress level is too high, so, throttling back your stress is critical to your success.
The simplest way to decrease your stress is to breathe. That’s right, deep breathing helps you change your emotional state, calms your nervous system and has a myriad of other benefits to the mind and the body.
The good news is you breathe automatically, so, all you have to do is pay attention to it and take slow, deep breaths several times a day.
Best practice: Inhale slowly to the count of 3 and exhale slowly to the count of 6 several times a day. Do it while stopped at a stop light or sign; while washing your hands after you use the restroom, or before you eat your meals or snacks.
Nourish Your Body Well
“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” – Michael Pollan
There’s such an overwhelming amount of nutrition and diet information floating around from various resources that it stops even the most motivated person from making any shifts for fear of making a mistake.
Michael Pollan’s philosophy brilliantly simplifies the most complex of subjects. Add more pure water to your plan and you’re good to go.
Best practices:
Eat food – real, whole food –
- lean meats and fish, eggs
- nuts and seeds
- fruits and veggies (organic, if possible)
- whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, oats, etc.)
- good fats (olive or coconut oil, avocados, nut butter, etc.)
- dairy (if you can digest it – greek yogurt, organic cheese, etc.)
- Not too much – this is all about portion control
- Mostly plants – up your fruit and veggie intake, organic if possible
- Drink more water – about ½ your body weight is ideal, however, simply start with drinking a glass of water when you wake up and at each meal
Move Your Body
Quite simply, exercise is medicinal. The benefits of moving your body in some way will offer extraordinary benefits with disease prevention and management, pain and mobility amongst many other benefits.
The current recommendation is 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week for adults. Whether you currently exercise or are starting from scratch – the bottom line is to move your body regularly.
Best practices:
- Move your body in some way
- Walk the dog
- Park your car a little further away from the store or restaurant
- Garden
- Take a group exercise class
- Do a few yoga poses at home or go take a class
- Use the dosing guidelines as your ultimate goal – 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week
Ready to start on your journey to become the healthiest version of yourself? Pick something from above and start taking action.
If you’d like to take a deeper dive, check out the practical tools section of the site.
If you need more personalized guidance, schedule an introductory coaching session with me. I’m happy to help!
Note: This content is meant for educational purposes only. If you have a medical condition or injury, please consult with your healthcare practitioner for guidance.