Getting older comes with a plethora of problems, external and internal. Perhaps you start to be concerned with your self-image, or you find that parts of the body don’t move as well as they used to. Part of maintaining ourselves as we get older is about fixing those physical issues. What are the main issues we need to focus on so that we can age healthily?
Maintaining Mobility
Mobility is something that can decrease as we get older. As our strength can decrease, this loss of muscle mass can lead to reduced activity and weakness overall. It’s important to look at the issue in the round. Firstly, you need to undertake moderate exercise if you don’t already, but also understand that the bigger problems come later in life if you don’t fix the smaller ones. You may have an ongoing issue with your back, in which case, consulting an orthopedic surgeon can get to the root of the problem. As with every surgeon, they will tell you that it’s about that act of maintaining. You need your mobility, and contrary to popular belief, it only weakens as you get older if you don’t do anything to look after it.
Focusing On Your Bone Health
Intrinsically linked with your strength, your bone health begins to weaken as early as your 40s. They can become more brittle due to the fact that more calcium is being extracted from the bones. This can cause a risk of fracture. And as your joints begin to feel stiffer especially if you’ve noticed this getting out of bed, this could point towards arthritis later in life. Ensuring that you consume good sources of calcium and Vitamin D is crucial, but you should also think about a supplement like glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM. The importance of diet as we get older is even more impactful. But when we start to notice these issues before we hit middle age, this is the perfect opportunity to stop them from getting worse.
Keeping Your Heart Healthy
Exercise is a way to maintain bone mass and your mobility, but it can also help your heart. As you get older, your arteries and blood vessels become stiffer so your heart has to work harder to pump the blood around the body. This is why you can get high blood pressure as well as various issues relating to the heart. Ensure you have a good diet, but also remain active. Even a little bit of moderate exercise can help to maintain your blood pressure, but you also need to remember the importance of sleep. Getting adequate rest is something you have to prioritize, especially after the age of 40. This can help to repair your heart and blood vessels.
The physical issues as we get older need addressing. The big mistake a lot of us make is that we think that we have got plenty of time to do it. The trick is all about implementing healthy habits as soon as possible. It’s not about going to the gym 7 days a week, nor is it about eating salads for every meal, but it’s about a little of what you fancy, in conjunction with the right lifestyle choices.
