8 Ways to Age Gracefully!
As we mentioned last week, there are many health topics to bring awareness to this month. September is a powerhouse of a month when it comes to getting one’s health in optimal shape or becoming more conscious of the things one can do to live more pleasantly and positively. In addition to September being National Yoga and Pain Awareness Month, it is Healthy Aging Month too. Aging is a beautiful thing; it allows us to see the complexities of life shifts when we are open or conscious enough to notice and appreciate what is going on around us on a regular basis. If you can read and digest this blog post, that means your cognitive brain can comprehend the words that appear before you. This is a positive attribute to have while moving through life at any age. Aging gracefully is not something everyone does, but everyone can do so if they want to, even if they are with a said disease or disability. Aging gracefully is about management of the disharmony in the body and deciding to want to live your best life, no matter where you are at in this walk of life. If thriving is an objective, then put in the actions needed to do so graciously.
Healthy Aging Month
Healthy Aging Month brings awareness to the fact that everyone on earth is entitled to live a long and healthy life. The problem is environments play a big part here in destroying a good thing, from the violence in the area, to the people that are in your life, the food eateries that are available in an area, as well as the places to partake in physical activity safely and of course mind-set it is hard to age gracefully with little bottlenecks. Healthy Aging Month emphasizes that though not every place may be ideal or perfect to live in, however, if some things that are listed here in this post are considered or implemented, living a productive, fulfilling life that will allow for aging gracefully does not have to be a dream, it can be a possibility. It can be everyone’s reality if it is so desired. One is not limited by a chronological age, there are actions that can be taken to live by biological age. How old do you feel you are? How old do you look, or others think you are? Does the biological and chronological age coincide with each other?
8 Ways to Age Gracefully
1. Multi-vitamin
a. Take a multivitamin for energy and to obtain he vitamins and minerals needed to function throughout the day. Invest in vitamins that have Vitamin A, B-12, C, D3 & K in them. **However, check with your doctor if you are on medications for anything prior to implementing a multi-vitamin in your diet.
2. Healthy Consumption of Foods & Water
a. Being a mindful eater is imperative to aging gracefully, as most people age, they have so many ailments, but it does not have to be that way if they eat right (eliminate excess process foods, eat live foods)
b. Focus of fiber filled foods to keep the elimination channels circulating properly, so that what goes in the mouth comes out within the same day or the next day, not days or a week later. Eat to avoid constipation.
c. Stay hydrated with water, herbal teas, and infused water throughout the day. Limit the intake of high fructose corn syrup drinks.
d. Decrease consumption of sugary foods and drinks which cause continuous inflammation in the body.
3. Physical Activity
a. Physical activity can help prevent disease, disability, injury, and premature death.
b. Physical activity improves heart, muscle, bone, and mental health in adolescents.
c. Try Qi gong, Tai-chi, Yoga for gentle movements and dancing, kick boxing or whatever you like to pump up the hearts blood.
d. As always get out in nature at least 2x a week for a stroll of some peace and quiet with the creatures who have no worry in the world. Watch them play as you move.
4. Meditation/Prayer
a. Mindfulness, meditation with no judgement may be beneficial in the aging process. It helps one to destress added with breathing exercise it can lower occurrence of anxiety. Meditation and prayer that is a part of a routine, daily or weekly is advantageous in keeping one focus on the task, thoughts, mantras, words at hand which alleviates cognitive decline and cortisol levels.
b. Sitting quietly with a bible or in prayer is comforting to the spirit and the aging process. It allows the feel-good hormones to arise and keeps stress away and allows for God/the universe to work its magic on improving lives. Meditation and prayer offers a greater ability to handle adversity, including stressful situations illnesses or just about anything that can get int way of living life here on earth.
5. Communication
a. Having associates, family members, co-workers to connect with or check up on adds values to life. No man is meant to live this life alone, yet so many do and are lonely and this can lead to lead to depression.
b. Pick up the phone, send a text, jump on a web conference, join groups with like-minded souls: (churches, dance class, art, music, etc.
c. Try something different, get out and mingle. Be adventurous put no limits on what you can do and who you could meet. You are free, so be free and do what you don’t know to do; live a little. These are after all the Days of Your Life. Hire a coach if you need help with navigating through this or any other area of life. (See below to connect with a coach).
6. Healthy Habits/Routines
a. Get into routines every day, every other day or once a week to keep the brain from cognitive decline. If you enjoy cross word puzzles on the computer or in a book, try to do one a day to challenge the mind. If something feels off or is continuously not feeling right, you will know when to go get checked.
b. Routines are also beneficial to have in place because life is always changing, therefore when interruptions do arrive one can be ready or better prepared to help alleviate excess anxiety or stress.
c. Read books, perhaps a book a month, join a book club where you can discuss what was comprehended from the findings in the book. Whatever it is you do or like to do, make sure to have a routine to follow to keep the mind operating in tip top shape. A brain running optimally improves the quality of life and avoid depressions and falls. It keeps the mind aware and cognizant of what is always going on.
d. Continuous mental stimulation via activities that keep the mind sharp are excellent ways to go when it comes to building habits or routines. (keeping a journal, playing a game of solidary, pyramid, etc.)
7. Healthy Sleep
a. 7 – 9 hours of sleep each night is imperative for optimal brain function. The only exception to sleep healthy sleep habits should be those that occur during vacation time or traveling to a different time zone other than that consistency matters. Studies have shown that those who sleep less than 5 hours consistently have a large chance of getting some for of dementia like Alzheimer’s.
8. Living Positively
a. The environment one lives in has an immense impact on how we live. Watching news that is consistently negative does nothing to improve the mood or aging. The consumption of negativity is depressing to the body’s system. Keep a positive mindset with limited news watching or television viewing. Influences that are not positive on the mind are not positive to the aging process.
b. Helps in keeping calm during most if not every arduous situation.
c. Do things that make your energy stay at the highest level. We are emotional beings.
d. Smile & laugh as often as possible.
Conclusion
Life is interesting, it is something we all take apart of. We go from the cradle to the grave, but somewhere in between we can more times than not decide how we will live by the choices we make in every area of our lives. Some of us age gracefully with limited health concerns or issues while others have a harder time and must work at improving their health if they want to be around for some time. Now, how we do it is a different story, healthy aging is about creating an environment, filled with endless opportunities that empower people to be and do what matters most to them while they reside on this earth. Most people have an opportunity experience healthy aging, don’t limit yourself; live your best life now or starting today. Do what you can to make sure to stay informed about the memory-robbing form of dementia called Alzheimer’s, it is indeed a very devastating condition that most adults fear most of all diseases out here. Make better choice now so that you can age gracefully every day moving forward.
Coaching Offer/Opportunity
Hire one of our health and wellness or life coaches to help you navigate the journey as best as you can. Sign-up for a 15-minute complimentary clarity call to discuss how we can work together to help you age gracefully. (This is a candid conversation about you, your needs and ability to obtain your desired goals. Stuck and don't know where to start? We can help with that too.)
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