4 Ways to Age Gracefully
By Stephen R. Farris
At some point as we grow older, we have to face the fact that how we looked in our younger years -- smooth skin, well-toned muscles, long wavy hair -- our chances of keeping that look diminishes as we transcend into our silver years.
But don't lose hope. Even though we may be older now, we can still look and feel good through exercise, healthy eating, and taking care of our skin and hair. If we work at it, we can all age like a "fine wine" as the old saying goes.
Start With Your Skin
After all, it's the largest organ your body has. A few things you can do to help protect it include:
- Get regular skin cancer screenings
- Use sunscreen when outdoors
- Use gentle products for your skin
- Drink plenty of water
Exercise
Exercise can help lower your risk for certain diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Research recommends at least 1.5 to 2.5 hours per week of exercise, which can be one or a number of different ones. Some of those include walking, running, swimming, or riding a bicycle. You can even do weight training to help keep muscles toned.
Watch Your Diet
As we grow older, it's important to watch what we eat. When we were eating junk food in our younger years (certainly not recommended if you are a youngster), burning off those calories was usually no problem due to being more active. No matter your age you should be eating healthy by adding more leafy green vegetables, fresh fruit, lean cuts of meat, and healthy fats to your diet each day. Stay away from high-processed foods as much as possible, which include canned or prepackaged products.
Stay Sharp
The older generation should keep their mind sharp as well. Spending time with family and loved ones and sharing memories is a good way to start. Also do things you enjoy doing, like painting, reading books, doing crossword or word search puzzles, and even putting puzzles together. Do anything that keeps your mind challenged.
And when you have questions about your health, and overall wellness, visit with your local chiropractor to find out and hear some of the tips and suggestions they can offer. Also, if you are experiencing pain in your back, neck, and/or joints, they can help give you relief from those pains as well.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Mt. Prospect, Ill.