10 Tips on How to Age Well

Although genetics plays a role in determining why one person lives to be 100 with their own teeth intact, and another is bedridden at 60, it plays a much smaller role than you might imagine. It turns out that the discrepancies in how we age are largely determined by our lifestyle. 

Here are 10 tips on how to improve your lifestyle to stay vigorous and happy in your old age. 

1. Visit a vision specialist for an eye exam regularly.

Improve the brightness within your home, making sure that steps are well-lit and well contrasted, and get rid of glare in reflective surfaces around the house. 

2. Loss of hearing, and the social isolation and inactivity that accompanies it, can lead to physical decline, as well as delusions and other psychotic symptoms.

Hearing loss also increases the risk of falling. 

People with hearing loss can be misdiagnosed as having dementia. If this affects you, you may consider to get hearing amplifiers or hearing aids. 

3. Be make sure to get good medical care.

Don't put off that pelvic exam or prostate test. Find a good doctor, have regular checkups, and be alert to signs of trouble. 

4. As soon as the last cigarette is put out, the body begins to repair and restore itself.

Within minutes, blood flow improves and blood pressure drops, reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke and other circulatory disease. 

5. Eat well and eat healthy. 

Get plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, and lots of fiber and fluids. Stick to foods that are low in fat and salt. Avoid processed food. 

6. Exercise daily. Stretch, flex and lift.

Take long walks. Try yoga, weight lifting, or basketball. Find the right exercise program that suits you. Some people will enjoy a short walk, some like yoga, and others are drawn to the pool. 

7. Go outdoor, get fresh air.

Stretch your lungs and your muscles. A relaxed disposition keeps you away from stress, and decreases the risk of stress-related health complications.

8. More than a third of all elderly people say they have trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep, although some sleeplessness is a result of the hormonal changes that come with age.

For example, the decrease of the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps us fall asleep. 

Getting plenty of sunshine, exercise, and limiting fluids late in the evening, may make it easier to fall asleep. Avoid naps in the day time, and try relaxing rituals such as aromatherapy.  

9. Spend time with family and friends, stay active and involved. 

Call an old friend, visit your brother, take time out for your kids, and never be stingy with words like I'm sorry, I forgive you, and I love you. 

Foster relationships. Nourish them. Water them and feed them. Work at them and enjoy them. 

10. Find your soul.

If you don't have time or the inclination for religious services, you might still spend a little time each week with your soul. Take a moment and get away from the noise, stress, phone messages, Find a silent place, sit quietly, and listen. As the minutes pass, if you can clear your head of the commotion, you will begin to hear it, the voice of your soul. These moments alone with yourself will ease your stress and remind you of your priorities.

You have heard all this before. Now try it. You won't believe what a difference it makes until you set yourself to the task. If you can alter your lifestyle, even in small ways, it will not only make for more and better years, health, and independence, but it will also make you feel younger, more energetic, and more optimistic right now, today.