Americans are living longer than ever before. This brings opportunities for contribution, continued education, multiple careers, and more time for exploring passions. However, your ability to make the most of the decades spent during retirement age depends heavily on your health!
While it’s true that your health is greatly impacted by your genetics and environment, the intention you place on your behavior at a younger age can make a huge impact on your quality of life later on! Here are three things to consider at ANY age that may improve your chances of enjoying your older years.
SLEEP AND DEMENTIA
Many studies have shown that sleep duration and consistency in the decades leading up to older age play a large role in memory, mood, and learning later. A 30-year study published in 2021 cites a 30% higher risk for dementia diagnosis in the participants late 70s for those sleeping 6 vs 7 hours in their 50’s!
TIP: 7-9 hours of consistent and quality sleep is recommended for optimal brain health.
DIET AND AGE-RELATED DISEASE
The cells in your body will divide 50-70 times in your lifetime. Each time the cell divides, something called a telomere gets shorter. When it becomes too short for division, the cell stops regenerating. This leads to age-related diseases. The good news is that studies indicate that we can reduce the shortening of these telomeres through our diet! So in essence, the longer we practice healthy eating habits, the more length we maintain on our telomeres, thus, delaying age related disease for longer.
Here's an article that explains the process more in depth:
TIP: Start protecting your cells with foods, drinks, and herbs that contain antioxidants. Here’s a list of some of these fantastic foods
SEE YOUR DOCTOR REGULARLY
Regular health screenings help catch chronic disease early and can help you reduce your risk factors for disease later in life. Disease is most treatable in its earliest stages. Don’t wait to seek medical attention. Yearly visits, maybe more, are advised depending on your current health.
TIP: Make a list of your concerns beforehand. Bring these items up right away, don’t save them for the end of the visit! Click the links below for more information on healthy aging!
Bethany Hill is our Options Counselor and the newest member at AAA-Five County.
She loves being able to help the growing aging community connect with local social services.
Bethany graduated from Utah Technical University with a degree in Population Health, Long Term Care Administration and is a certified Gerontologist.
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