3 Signs that Prove You're Aging Well
People say all the time that age is just a number, and that can be true to an extent. Aging is one of the most natural parts of life, and unfortunately, there's no avoiding it. While some people dread their birthdays as they get older, it's important to embrace your age and realize that getting older is a privilege not everyone is lucky enough to get.
Research suggests that older individuals who have a more positive attitude towards aging can actually experience better mental health and a greater life satisfaction.
While your mentality may play a large role in how you feel, sometimes it's not quite that simple. There isn't an easy fix for mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, and when it comes to aging, these feelings can be elevated. Although we can't control getting older, we can take the necessary steps to help make sure that we're aging well.
Maybe you're already doing some of these things, but if you're not, consider adding these qualities into your life to help you age better and live a long, healthy, and happy life.
1. You Have a Good Social Life
As you get older, your social circle may shrink as you become busier with work, kids, and your personal life, but it's important to keep strong social connections. According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, at least 1/3 of adults 45 and older have reported feeling lonely, while 1/4 of adults 65 and older reported being socially isolated.
Research shows that loneliness and social isolation is a public health crisis and can lead to depression, anxiety, cognitive disorders such as dementia, and even death.
Maintaining social connections have been proven to help improve physical health and can actually help you live longer. So, if you're looking to age well, a positive social circle just might be the key.
However, it's not always easy to make new friends as adults if you don't already have a friend group. Check out just some of the ways you can develop social connections
How to Meet New People as an Adult
Join a Gym: Joining a gym, especially one that offers group classes or member events, is a great way to meet new people. If you love working out, then you'll know you already have something in common! By making friends at the gym, you may not only find new workout buddies, but also people to go to dinner with, go to events with, and more.
Make a Playdate with a Fellow Parent: Kids seem to make friends so much easier than we can, so why not take advantage of it? You likely meet plenty of fellow parents at your child's or their friends' birthday party, so don't be afraid to chat them up. Make a playdate for you kids and offer to have them over too. You can also plan a fun day at the zoo, amusement park, or anywhere else where you can get to know each other more.
Go to Work Happy Hour: After a long day at work, you may be hesitant to head to happy hour with your co-workers, but this can be an easy way to get to know people you spend a majority of the day with. Even if you don't drink, you can still grab an appetizer or a non-alcoholic beverage as you chat it up with the people you work with. You may be surprised to find you have more in common than you think.
2. You Exercise Regularly
For everyone, not just older adults, exercising regularly is important for your health. A sedentary lifestyle puts you at a greater risk of heart disease, cancers, musculoskeletal diseases such as osteoporosis, and death.
As you get older, your body can lose muscle mass and bone density, which could elevate your risk of falling and breaking a bone. You can also start to lose motor control with age, which makes things like driving, walking up stairs, and being independent in general much harder.
Part of aging well includes being independent for as long as you can, and exercise can help you achieve that. Along with helping to improve motor function, exercise has been proven to help reduce cardiovascular disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, dementia, and mental illnesses in older adults.
While exercise may look different for older adults than it would say a 20 year old, there are plenty of options. There are exercise classes specifically designed for older adults or personal trainers trained to work with people of certain ages.
However, many trainers and exercise classes offer modifications for people who may not be able to perform high intensity movements.
3. You're Still Learning New Things
Often, people make the mistake of not learning new things when they get out of school. What you may not realize is learning can have mental and physical benefits. Not only do you expand your knowledge, but your brain can actually change physically when learning new things.
While researchers first thought that this change only happens it children, it's been shown to also happen in adults. As we age, we're at a greater risk of memory loss and dementia, so taking the time to continue to learn new things as an adult is essential for our brain function.
Studies show that adults in their 60's who participated in classes such as music composition and Spanish, had improved memory.
Continuing to learn through adulthood can help you age better by helping improve your memory, focus, reasoning, and thinking in general. It can also help reduce the risk of dementia and improve your ability to handle stressful situations.
Are You Aging Well?
Getting older can be overwhelming, but learning to appreciate the beauty and privilege of it can help change your attitude. Making the best out of your life with friends, exercise, and learning can make the utmost difference in aging better.