Tips for Improving Health in Your Later Years

As we get older, our bodies change. That’s an undeniable fact of life, but there are some steps that you can take to improve your health and wellness while aging.

No, your body may not work as well as it did when you were in your prime, but that doesn’t mean that you have to sit idly by while your muscles, joints, and other bodily systems stop working.

Staying in shape while aging does require you to take a different approach to fitness, but there are still plenty of things that you can do. Your later years don’t have to be your worst years, and these ideas for healthy aging can help you make your golden years truly golden.

Focus on Mobility and Flexibility

Joint health is one of the most important parts of healthy aging, which means when you’re trying to improve or maintain your health in your later years, it’s a good idea to focus on mobility and flexibility.

When you were younger, working out may have consisted of intense cardio and heavy weightlifting. While there’s certainly nothing wrong with those exercises, even in your later years if you can safely perform them, you’ll still want to add some emphasis to your joint health.

Taking the time to do something as simple as stretching every day can improve your mobility and your joint health. It’s also a great way to improve circulation, which gets increasingly important as we age.

Remember that your stretching exercises are primarily about muscle health, so you should dedicate part of your stretching routine to each major muscle group.

When it comes to your joints, few exercises are better than walking. You can greatly improve the health of your ankles, knees, and hips while walking.

Strength Training While Aging

Maybe you can look back a few years and remember going to the gym and bench-pressing 200 pounds. Perhaps you were the envy of the gym when you could curl more weight than everyone else and your squats were the thing of legends.

As we get older, it’s virtually impossible to continue that sort of weight training, but that doesn’t mean that you need to give up on lifting weights altogether.

As we age, it gets progressively harder to build and maintain muscle mass. Fortunately, weight training and strength training don’t mean that you have to be pumping major iron at the gym. Free weights, including light-weight dumbbells and resistance bands, are great tools for people to use as they age.

If you’re not interested in using those things, you can use your body as your workout tool by doing weightless squats, lunges, and push-ups. Even if you can’t pump iron like you used to, it’s a good idea to do something to build and maintain muscle mass.

Embracing Low-Impact Cardio Workouts

As we briefly discussed earlier, it’s harder to maintain joint health as we get older. With this in mind, many people find that running or even jogging can leave them feeling too sore to work out for days. Working out while aging is about consistency, not about getting instant effects.

If a one-mile run makes it impossible for you to be active the following day, it’s not really worth it. Instead, consider something low impact like walking or bicycling, preferably on a flat, smooth surface.

Low-impact cardio helps you strengthen your heart muscle, and continues to build on joint health like we discussed earlier. It’s also a great way to help with weight management.

As we get older and become less active, it’s easier to gain weight. Weight gain and obesity are directly linked to a number of health issues, which further underscores the importance of performing some sort of cardio workout.

Be Mindful of Your Diet

It’s natural for you to become a little less active as you age. It’s also normal to have less energy, which can lead to becoming sedentary, or at the very least, not being able to be as active as you were decades ago. With this in mind, it’s crucial to remain mindful of your diet as you get a little older.

This doesn’t mean that you never indulge in your favorite snack, but it does mean that you probably can’t take on the calories that you used to.

Ultimately, food is fuel for the body, and while some fuel may be a bit more enjoyable than others, it’s crucial to maintain a balanced diet that not only helps you control your weight but also improves heart health.

Listen to Your Body

Consistency is key when it comes to any type of fitness routine, and it’s even more important as you age. However, this doesn’t mean that you don’t listen to your body.

While it’s a good idea to avoid workouts that you know are going to leave you too sore to be active, it doesn’t mean that you push through when your body is asking for a break.

A strategic approach to fitness while aging is crucial, but you need to be willing to adjust your strategy as you go. If your body tells you that it needs a day off, take the day off. You can be active around your home, doing laundry, dusting, and performing other household chores. Remember, some activity is better than no activity.

Aging With Dignity

Taking a proactive approach to staying in shape while aging is the best way to protect your long-term health.

By making some routine changes, stretching, and eating a balanced diet, you can get the most out of your body for the rest of your life.