Lifestyle changes that could add years to your life

Your biological clock may be ticking, but that doesn’t mean you have to age unhealthily, it just takes a little work which can improve your health and represents a longer and better quality of life.

Many people have a negative concept of aging, But it does not have to be like that. Perhaps the most common misperception is that it is normal for the aging process to include poor health, obesity, dementia, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cardiovascular and respiratory problems, as well as chronic illness. But this is not true, when healthy Lifestyle changes are adopted using evidence-based approaches, chronic diseases can be delayed or prevented by 10-15 years compared to doing nothing. These changes lead to better health and additional years to enjoy them.

According to US Air Force Colonel Dr. Mary Anne Kiel, who chairs the Defense Health Agency Primary Care Clinical Community and also chairs Air Force Performance and Lifestyle Medicine, as before healthy lifestyle changes best adopted will be one person, and she emphasizes how lifestyle choices affect health well into old age.

“Patients can make a personal choice at any age to optimize their health and extend their longevity by changing their nutrition to a predominantly plant-based diet, minimizing processed foods, being physically active every day, seeking restful sleep, avoiding hazardous substances, managing stress and cultivating positive social connections,” Kiel advised. In addition to avoiding risky behaviors, such as smoking and plenty of alcohol, lowering your stress levels, and good sleep hygiene are crucial to staying healthy as you age.

“Improving sleep can produce almost instantaneous results in improving mental health, pain levels, and risk of infectious disease,” as well as reducing dementia risk and overall death rates,” Kiel said.

Similarly, “a revolutionized To dieyou and physical activity regimen can produce rapid changes in the body’s risk of cardiovascular events, cancer and diabetes,” he noted.

If you want to reduce your risk of disease and take fewer medications, you may be able to do so through lifestyle changes. “Studies show that people who make intensive lifestyle changes can reverse high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity, often with the ability to reduce or eliminate any medications they may have needed.” before,” Kiel said.

Studies have shown how trying to change the way our DNA is negatively affected can help us live longer. Chromosomes carry long pieces of DNA that contain our genes, these have caps at the end of them called telomeres to help keep everything inside, so to speak. However, these limits generally shorten with age, but following a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the rate at which telomeres shorten to effectively extend our longevity.

Most healthcare professionals will encourage people to engage in healthy lifestyles and behaviors that will help promote healthy aging. For example movement on a continuous basisyes It is important as we age to help maintain mobility. Fragility It can seriously affect a person who maintains a sedentary lifestyle, the most important deficiencies include a lack of strength, balance, endurance and limited mobility. The good news is that research shows that even those who are frail respond well to weight training and can increase their bone density to decrease the risk of falls and fractures. Falls are the leading cause of fatal accidents in older adults, as well as the leading cause of trauma-related hospitalization in older adults.

The more you move, the more you can movethis is true even in younger populations, as well as helping to ensure that aging populations stay healthy and independent. Among the elderly population, there has been a greater emphasis on carrying out functional and strengthening activities.

Walking more is perhaps one of the best ways to help improve balance, this can be done with a walking program or working on balance through an evidence-based community exercise program that could include, but is not limited to, stretching, aerobics, Tai Chi, Otago and staying active.

According to Kiel, “Studies have shown that no matter what our age, making nutrition and other lifestyle changes can have a dramatic impact in extending our life expectancy and improving our quality of life. You’re never too old to make a change..”

Source: news.google.com