Healthy Life Choices
Recently we discussed tests and vaccines for proactive health and having a check-up with your GP, see here. This isn’t the only way to take charge of your health. Making healthy life choices is also very important. These choices can help to minimise your risk to some diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and cancer. To choose a healthy lifestyle and maintain your best health, here are some tips on what choices to make:
Eat healthily
It is important to have a balanced diet to help maintain muscle strength and stay within a healthy weight range, while also lowering your risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. You should enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods every day, including fruit and vegetables, nuts, legumes, grains, lean meats, poultry and fish, as well as milk, yoghurt and cheese. Limit processed foods and foods containing saturated fat, added salt and sugar, and alcohol.
Quit smoking
If you smoke, you should try and quit as a matter of urgency, as the health benefits of quitting smoking include lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and heart rate; a lower risk of cancer, diabetes, and lung damage; and stronger bones, muscles, and immune system.
You can get support to quit smoking from your doctor who may also give you medication, or you can try a service such as Quit Now or Quitline.
Limit alcohol
The Government health advice is that you should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day.
When you are older you have an increased risk of harm from drinking alcohol. If you have a condition that can get worse with alcohol, your doctor may advise you not to drink.
Be physically active
Keeping physically active can help offset many of the effects of ageing. Regular exercise can improve your balance, help keep you mobile, improve your mood and contribute to better cognitive functioning. Regular exercise is also an important part managing some chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis.
Any exercise at all is better than none, however if you are generally fit and are reasonably mobile, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Moderate-intensity physical activity such as fast walking or swimming should raise your heart rate but ensure it doesn’t make you too breathless.
If you aren’t very active, start exercising and gradually increase the amount you do and how often you do it.
Choosing strength, balance and flexibility exercise is important as well, as these exercises help you to maintain stronger muscles, bones and reduce your risk of falls, which are all important as you get older.
Be socially active
Making the effort to interact with family and friends can have many benefits for your health. These benefits include more positive moods, more confidence, and higher levels of physical activity.
If you are trying to improve your social life, look for opportunities to reconnect with old friends or make new ones. Seek out like-minded people in church groups, volunteer activities, gyms, community centres, or special interest groups such as craft, gardening or woodwork. Read more here for some more ideas – Making new friends.
Get enough sleep
A good night’s sleep is key for the health of your body and brain. Sleep deprivation can affect your immune system, increase inflammation and make you more vulnerable to illness. It can also affect your physical and mental health.
As an older adult aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night. You may also notice that your sleep patterns change as you age, you wake earlier or even wake more in the night, which is often normal. However still aim to get the recommended amount of sleep. For tips on getting a good night’s sleep read here – Sleeping tips.
Follow doctor’s advice
This can include many things, such as consulting your doctor when starting a new physical activity or change in diet or lifestyle. You should always take any medication prescribed to you exactly as directed by your doctor, and never stop taking medication without consulting your doctor. However, it’s also worth being proactive and doing regular medication reviews with your doctor to discuss whether all of your prescriptions are still necessary.
It’s also important to adhere to your doctor’s lifestyle advice for either preventative reasons or ongoing health issues.
Ideally, you’ll have already been practicing healthy habits throughout your life. But even if you haven’t, it’s never too late to start taking proactive steps to maintain and even improve your health. Small lifestyle changes can have a big impact, and adopting even a few of the habits listed here will start you on the right track.
Interested in similar articles? Why not check these out:
Source:
www.healthdirect.gov.au/manage-your-health-in-your-60s
www.healthline.com/health/senior-health-tests
www.everydayhealth.com/senior-health/understanding/index.aspx
