How to Promote Wellness as You Age
Your health and wellness should always be a top priority.
This statement is especially true as you advance towards your golden years. By committing to your health early in life, you can help promote overall wellness and reduce your risk of developing a wide range of health conditions and diseases. Thus, paving the way to a long, healthy and happy life.
As you start to age, it’s even more important that you put an emphasis on healthy habits. In this article, we take a closer look at the best ways to promote wellness as you age.
10 Ways to Promote Wellness as You Age
With a few simple lifestyle changes, you can help to promote wellness as you continue to age. Here are 10 of the best ways you can invest in your health, especially as you age.
1. Protein
Essential for natural muscle building, it’s important that you place an emphasis on protein in your diet. Ideally, you should aim to have a source of protein at each and every meal. Not only can protein aid in the recovery and strength of your muscles, but it can also aid in a balanced diet.
Sources of protein can include:
Eggs
Chicken
Turkey
Lentils
Salmon
Lean Beef
Peanut Butter
Cottage Cheese
By including protein in your diet, you can help to promote health and wellness throughout all walks of life.
2. Self-Care
The importance of self-care should never go overlooked.
Self-care can provide you with the opportunity to check in with yourself. No matter what you need, taking this dedicated time to yourself can allow you to relax, focus on your health, plan for the future, and heal.
Self-care can look very different from one person to the next. One person may find exercise soothing and cathartic, while others will opt for a spa day or weekend away at a hotel. The best part is that you can make the conscious decision to personalize your approach to self-care based on your needs.
By committing to regular self-care, you can help to ease stress, promote relaxation and enjoy an overall happier approach to life.
3. Hydration
It’s no secret that hydration is so important for your overall health. Depending on factors such as your age, weight, sex, activity level, and overall health, it may be recommended that you drink anywhere from eight to 12 glasses of water each day.
But, why is water so important to your health - especially as you age?
Boosts your energy levels
Aids in maintaining a healthy weight
Promotes good digestion
Detoxifies your body
Hydrates and replenishes your skin
Looking for ways to make your water more enticing? We suggest adding a lemon, lime or orange slice to your glass, or opting for a carbonated water substitute instead!
4. Physical Activity
Regular exercise and physical activity is so important to your health as you age. Not only can physical activity help to maintain a healthy weight, but it can also help to strengthen your muscles, promote circulation and improve your balance, flexibility and overall mobility. All of which are extremely important as you navigate a senior lifestyle.
If you’re looking for a low-impact approach to exercise that keeps you moving while putting less stress on your body, we suggest taking your workout to the water. The natural buoyant properties of water can help to lift weight from your body, resulting in the feeling of weightlessness as you move through the water.
Not only that, but the water adds resistance to your workout. The resistance of the water provides you with something extra to work against, thus resulting in a more effective workout.
5. Skin Protection
Providing your skin with care and protection can result in many lasting benefits, especially as you begin to age. Not only can it help to reduce your risk of certain conditions and diseases, such as skin cancer, but it can also help to promote a healthy and youthful glow.
The best ways to care for and protect your skin are:
Wear sunscreen and protective clothing
Visit your doctor for regular checkups
Use gentle and quality skincare products
Commit to a regular skincare routine
Drink lots of water to stay hydrated
With a little preventative care, you can maintain the look, feel and health of the largest organ in your body for many youthful years to come.
6. Invest in Your Mental Health
Your mental health is so important. Now, more than ever before, more people are feeling the effects of lasting stress and anxiety, which can ultimately lead to poor mental health and even the development of certain mental health issues.
There are a number of ways that you can invest in your mental health, from speaking with a mental health professional or doctor, to regular exercise, a well-balanced diet, or for some, medication. The best first step is to speak with your health care provider to help make your mental health and wellness a top priority.
By investing in your mental health, you can help to pave the way toward many happy and healthy senior years.
7. Stress Management
The effects of stress should never be underestimated. Not only can they show on your physical appearance, but also your health on the inside. By taking the time to identify your sources of stress and creating a plan to manage them, you can take a proactive approach to how stress affects you in the long run.
From reducing premature aging and wrinkles, to lowering your risk of certain conditions and diseases that have a direct connection to stress, there are many reasons to take the first step towards stress management today.
How you manage your stress can be completely dependent on the source. To get started, you must first identify your stressors and make a plan to reduce and manage them, long-term. For instance, if your stress is connected to your weight, you may want to plan for a healthier diet or to increase your physical activity.
8. Prioritize Sleep
Good sleep can help to benefit your mental, emotional and physical health. The more importance you place on sleep in your younger years, the better your approach to wellness later on in life can be.
Based on a variety of factors, it is generally recommended that you get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Getting enough sleep can help to:
Lower your risk of certain conditions and diseases, such as obesity, heart disease and stroke
Reduce your risk of high stress levels, anxiety and depression
Reduce inflammation and even boost your circulation
Improve your focus, concentration and energy levels
Having trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep? Committing to a healthy bedtime routine and creating an environment geared toward sleep may help. Start out by adjusting your bedroom: add blackout curtains, use a floor or ceiling fan, invest in quality bedding, and wear comfortable pajamas.
Your bedtime routine should include a combination of hygiene and relaxation techniques. We suggest starting with bathing, either a shower or bath will do, although a bath may prove to be more relaxing. Ensure that your face and body are clean and free of impurities. Next, put on comfortable pajamas and enjoy a cup of herbal tea. Turn on your fan to add ambient noise and create a cooler environment, both factors which are known to help aid in good sleep patterns. Then, engage in a relaxing activity, such as reading a book or meditating, and disconnect from your mobile device.
Turn off the lights, lay your head down and drift off to sleep!
9. Take Your Vitamins and Supplements
Taking the right vitamins and supplements can help to ensure that your body is getting absolutely everything it needs to maintain health and wellness. To determine which vitamins and supplements are best for you, we suggest speaking with your doctor or local pharmacist.
It may be suggested that you take a vitamin or combination of vitamins to help promote wellness as you continue to age.
10. Do What You Love
To put it simply: life is short.
We can’t emphasize enough how important it is to do the things that you love and make you genuinely happy. Whether it be a daily dose of sunshine and enjoying the beauty of nature, spending time with family or traveling the world, doing the things that you love can absolutely contribute to your overall wellness - especially as you age!
Reduce feelings of stress, boost your mental health and make yourself genuinely happy.
