OF ACTIVE AGING

Active aging primarily focuses on the promotion of physical activity, reports Active Aging Canada, although the organization notes that there are “critical linkages of physical health with social, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.” According to the International Council on Active Aging, this encompasses seven specific areas of life.

1. Emotional Cultivate balance in your life. Find ways to manage stress well. We all know the clichéd yet important advice to live, laugh, and love.

2. Intellectual/cognitive Never stop learning. Engage your creativity and pursue whatever interests you.

3. Physical

From diet to daily habits, care for the body you’re in. It might be getting older, but it still has so much to offer.

4. Professional/vocational

Use your skills to create a better world.

5. Social

Stay connected and invest in healthy relationships and friendships.

6. Spiritual Find and live your true purpose.

7. Environmental

Plug into the great Canadian outdoors and enjoy our country’s natural beauty.

The best time to start is today

“It’s never too late to get active,” says Johnson. In one study, those who didn’t become physically active until they were middle-aged or in their senior years still saw significant health improvements.

First, pick a motivating goal.

“As we get older, exercise becomes less about [appearance],” says Johnson. “Instead, exercise helps to maintain independence, like being able to cook, going to lunch with friends, or lifting a grandchild.”

What is one thing you want to keep doing as you get older? Or perhaps there’s something you’d like to start doing? “Once you have a powerful motivator, exercise won’t seem like a chore,” notes Johnson.

Then, choose a fun physical activity that gets your blood pumping. Life’s too short to take a fitness class or go to a gym that you don’t enjoy.

“We don’t have any control over getting older, but we can control how we move,” says Johnson. “If you lift weights, your muscles will respond. If you go for a brisk walk, your heart and lungs will respond. Your body doesn’t know how old you are. It only responds to what is required of it.”

Simple Choices To Reduce Your Risk Of Disease

Go for a daily

walk

Bubbs says it’s a great way to build aerobic fitness. It also improves the other dimensions of active aging. “Walkers have lower rates of depression,” he says, “and score higher in traits like openness, extraversion, and agreeableness. This allows for more connectivity to friends and your local community—another key for healthy aging and longevity. ”

Get seven hours of sleep (or more) a night

Lack of sleep contributes to many health concerns that affect older Canadians, including a higher risk of memory problems, mood disorders, and falls.

Eat more protein

“Achieve your daily total for protein intake— preferably 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day—to protect your muscles, bones, and brain as you age,” says Bubbs.