How We Can Take Care of Ourselves as We Get Older

Aging is inevitable for those who are privileged enough to experience it, and with Cher and Dolly Parton appearing to be an exception to the rule, many of us start to slow down and experience our bodies taking a more leisurely pace, with a little more aches and pains than we might have had before.

Still, plenty of us can continue to enjoy the things we have always enjoyed, and for those who cannot quite manage the triathlon they did in their 20s, there is still cake, right?

In order to be able to have the best quality of life possible when we begin to age a little faster, we have to start taking care of ourselves a little better to keep that balance.

This piece will discuss some of the ways in which we can take care of ourselves as we get older.

Take Care of Your Skin

While skin might not immediately come to mind when thinking about your organs, it is in fact the largest one you have on and in your body. This is why it needs extra care as you age.

Your skin is exposed to everything from the air you breathe, the clothes you wear, to the lotions you use every day, so it is important to be mindful of where you live, what you put on your body, and what you put in your body too – as this all impacts the quality of your skin.

The number one tip for taking care of your skin (aside from drinking plenty of water) is to protect it from damaging UV rays. Using a sunscreen can protect your skin, by protecting you from an increased risk of skin cancer and other skin issues that can occur when exposure to the sun adds up. Your skin will be more fragile as you get older, so be sure to get in the shade from time to time and wear protective clothing too.

Move Your Body 
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We can guarantee you have heard it all before, but moving your body is crucial to keeping all parts of it working well. Exercise is essential for lowering your chances of getting issues such as heart disease, dementia, and cancer, and can also help you maintain your mobility for much longer. Be sure to incorporate a mixture of cardio, strength training, and mobility techniques into your life for 2 – 5 hours a week to benefit from the health effects. If you find yourself unable to move your body for long periods of time, then just do what you can, and be sure to not overextend yourself.
 
For those with little to no mobility, or just need an extra helping hand, opting for assisted living Colts Neck NJ can give you a new lease on life, with support at any point you need it.  

Peace of Mind

Mental health is just as important as physical health, and both can have a significant impact on each other. While exercise will also offer another excellent benefit of reducing symptoms such as anxiety or depression, it is also important to keep your brain healthy in other ways too, such as consuming omega fats and completing ‘training exercises’ that help your mind to keep thinking and learning optimally. This is a good way to keep the brain in the best condition possible.

Other activities which are good for your peace of mind include seeing friends and family, starting new hobbies or keeping up with ones you already enjoy, or even getting a pet if you are in a position to! 

It is also worth noting that keeping a positive mental attitude can work wonders for overcoming obstacles and improving your quality of life as time goes by. Not only can it help you live longer, but it can also improve your resilience to life’s difficulties, and help you appreciate life in a different and more meaningful way. 

According to WebMD: “Create healthy habits to manage stress, and eliminate the harmful habits as soon as possible!”

Manage Your Stress Levels

You would think that as we get older, things would start to calm down, we would get more time to chill, and enjoy this thing called ‘retirement’. But unfortunately, that is not always the case. Complicated situations and negative events do not just stop happening because we get older, they just sometimes become different, which is why being able to manage your stress levels is so important to your overall health and wellbeing. 

Managing stress is far easier said than it is done, and if anyone is able to implement a cure for stress indefinitely, well, move over Jeff Bezos, because they will most likely become the richest person on earth. The truth is, most stress is really bad for us. There is the ‘normal’ amount of stress on the body that is actually beneficial, such as exercise, but on the whole, it can really be detrimental to our health and our happiness.

Stress can cause mental health issues, and physical issues such as headaches, extreme fatigue, heart disease, obesity, dementia, and stomach problems, to name just a few! So, getting it under control is essential for any age.

There are a few tips you can use to manage stress which include exercise, meeting up with loved ones, scheduling out self-care time just for you, and taking on a new challenge that will take you out of your comfort zone, as successful challenges can help with a new perspective and help build confidence. Avoiding unhealthy habits can also go a long way into helping stress in the long term, as while they might feel like they are helping at the time of using them, they will most likely create more problems in the long run that you will have to face.

These are just a few tips on how you can take care of yourself as you are aging, no matter what age you are now – it is never too late to start!