By Caitlin Tilley, Health Correspondent for Dailymail.Com
19:52 19 Dec 2023, Updated 19:57 19 Dec 2023
- Strong social relationships, being conscientious and eating well all help
- Developing a positive attitude towards life is also important, just like conscience
- Read more: Seven secrets to living to 100, according to centenarians
Being healthy should be a lifelong commitment, but it becomes more urgent as people reach their 50s.
Genetics plays a role, but people’s behavior and attitudes can influence how old a person is.
Aging well means more than being physically healthy, says Dr. Theresa Allison, a geriatrician and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has developed a checklist for people in their 50s to see if they are aging gracefully based on modern science.
1. You have strong social ties
Older people are at risk of loneliness because they live alone, do not work, and are less mobile.
According to a report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, more than a third of adults 45 and older are lonely and a quarter of adults 65 and older are socially isolated.
In May, the US Surgeon General warned that overall loneliness is a public health crisis in America, noting that social isolation is higher than the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression and dementia.
Research shows that people with strong support systems live happier, healthier and longer lives.
A review of 148 studies found that people with deep social ties increased their chances of survival by 50 percent.
Dr Allison said: ‘There’s nothing wrong with being an introvert and enjoying being alone.
We are not all fanatics, but we are human. None of us is an island; And we need each other in different ways.’
AARP recommends that those living alone aim to meet with at least one friend or family member every day.
Connecting with people is especially important as people retire and your working colleagues don’t have a ready-made social circle.
2. You are physically active
According to Dr. James Powers, an associate professor of medicine and exercise science at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, people who are physically active and incorporate physical activity into their lives are more likely to age well.
This could be gardening, walking, or playing pickleball.
It not only keeps your muscles, joints and heart healthy.
It can also boost your mood and help ward off chronic disease including dementia, diabetes and heart disease, as well as increase your lifespan.
In the year A study of more than 5,000 seniors in 2022 found that exercise was associated with a lower risk of death, even among those genetically predisposed to live longer.
Studies have shown that sitting for long periods of time increases your risk of dying.
AARP recommends half an hour of exercise five days a week, but says any form of exercise can help make a difference.
Dr. Powers emphasizes doing something that makes you happy and says, ‘If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t keep doing it.’
He suggests exercising with a friend to add accountability and make it more fun.
‘The buddy system really works,’ he said.
3. You follow the Mediterranean diet
A large amount of research has established the Mediterranean diet as the golden diet.
It mainly includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats.
A study published last year found that switching from a standard Western diet to a Mediterranean diet can help you live longer, and the earlier you start in life, the better.
But even if you don’t start eating a Mediterranean diet until age 60, you’ll live an extra eight years, the study found.
And adopting a diet at age 80 still increases life expectancy by about three years.
4. Participate in meaningful activities
Research shows that people aged 50 and over have better spirits and live longer.
In the year A study of nearly 7,000 adults published in 2019 at the JAMA Network Open found that those who scored high on a scale measuring ‘purpose in life’ were less likely to die within four years than those who scored low.
Experts believe that engaging in activities that concern you can lower your stress levels and reduce inflammation in the body, which is linked to health problems such as cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Allison: ‘When I look at seniors who live rich, meaningful lives on their own, they are doing things that reflect their values and who they are.’
Dr. Allison, who is in her 50s, said she recently started learning the flute and joined a flute choir in San Francisco.
She said, ‘Suddenly I have to go somewhere new. I have to learn new music, and we know that learning new things is important as we get older.
‘I’m meeting new people. And I am engaged in a community activity that provides community service, because at the end of this we will give a free concert. So it pulls everything together.’
Dr. Alison suggests figuring out what’s important to you and what you enjoy doing, and then making time for it in your daily routine.
5. You sleep at least seven hours a day
Sleep is an incredibly important part of the aging process, and not getting enough can increase your risk of diseases like obesity, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Research shows a link between time spent sleeping and the risk of dementia and even death.
Sleep gives the body time to remove toxins from the brain and repair damaged nerve connections.
“If we don’t get enough sleep, we don’t get that repair,” says neuropsychologist Dr. Karen Miller, executive director of the Mental Health and Lifestyle Program at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California.
Think about all the good antioxidants you get from fruits and vegetables. If they don’t get seven hours of sleep, they can’t do their job.’
6. You have a positive attitude
Research shows that people with a positive mental attitude tend to live longer and healthier lives than people with a negative attitude.
“Life is just a number, but how you feel about it is very important,” says geriatrician John Battis, an associate professor in the department of geriatrics at the UNC School of Medicine.
I have people in their mid or late 60’s who feel old. I have others who feel young in their late 80’s. Developing a positive attitude, having things to look forward to, actually promotes well-being and quality of life.’
Developing a positive attitude about aging has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia and extend your life by about seven and a half years, says Meg Selig, a retired consultant, in her book Silver Sparks: Growing Older, Wiser Study Habits Change. , and happy, he said.
Adopting negative ageists is thought to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Ms. Selig suggests looking at the older people in your life that you admire and notice positive portrayals of older people in the media.
7. You are conscience
Diligent people keep their doctor’s appointments, take their medications on time, and avoid harmful habits like smoking.
A study of nearly 2,000 people found that conscientious people were 22 percent less likely to have cognitive impairment.
Additional research has shown that conscientious people have a 35 percent lower risk of dying prematurely.
Some people may be naturally more diligent than others, but you can help yourself by keeping track of things in a calendar and setting reminders.
8. You are protecting your mental health.
A study published in May this year suggests that cognitive decline may be inevitable in old age.
The study looked at adults ages 58 to 86 who took three to five classes over three months in subjects such as Spanish, art and music composition.
By the middle of the study, participants had already increased their brain power to adults 20-30 years younger.
Dr Miller said: ‘It’s a make-it-or-lose-it concept.
Your memory center lights up like Christmas lights when you learn something new. You’re stimulating it and creating a cycle of new information, and that stimulation is an exercise for the hippocampus.’