by Vickie Austin
All the money in the world can’t buy the luxury of longevity. Living long and well is a combination of wise choices, genetics and luck. To increase the odds, we learned a few things from HelpGuide.org, an independent nonprofit that runs a leading mental health website, for tips on aging well.
First things first
Let’s get some myths and misconceptions out of the way. Aging doesn’t mean an automatic decline in health or guaranteed disabilities.
True, aging can bring an onset of health issues related to “wear and tear” like osteoarthritis. But living a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, good nutrition and managing stress contributes to quality of life and longevity. Memory loss isn’t inevitable. As we age, we can still pick up new skills, learn new things and continue to exercise our brains to stay engaged with the world.
Keys to healthy aging
The first aging well tip they give us is “learn to cope with change.” The survival of the fittest isn’t just for Darwin and the animals.
We stay relevant by continuing to learn and adapt. Woe unto those who say it isn’t like the good old days when times were simpler, and no one was on their phone while walking into traffic. These are the good old days! Savor them and keep up on the latest.
Next, with tip No. 2, HelpGuide advises us to “find meaning and joy.” This along with tip No. 3, “stay connected,” implies that our greatest satisfaction can come from being with others. Or maybe you find meaning and joy by being out in nature or by going to the opera or a sports event.
Staying connected with those you love can combine nicely with finding meaning and joy, even if it’s in selfless endeavors like volunteering at a soup kitchen. Wherever you find meaning, that’s where you need to look.
“Get active and boost vitality” is tip No. 4, a given. That means, move your body. Get up and walk. Join a gym (Silver Sneakers programs for seniors abound) and take a class with barbells and weights. Our bones need resistance exercise to stay strong, and staying strong means staying independent. Nothing like a Zumba class to get your endorphins pumping.
Tip No. 5 is “keep your mind sharp.” Games, puzzles, reading, book clubs and studying new languages help keep your mind sharp. Travel is another way to keep learning: research and launch a trip to somewhere new as a way to rearrange your neural networks, another way to stay young.
Ties that bind
Our families and friends are the ties that bind us to the present and the future. Invest in those relationships and create history and rituals. Share stories and document events through photos and journals for generations to come.
