Mastering Aging: 6 Great Habits You Need to Age Well

If you want to age well, you first have to understand this fact of life: Aging well is all about having great habits.

Realize that your past habits have created the person who you are today.  Now, in some ways, that may be good news!  If you’ve spent the past couple of decades exercising and eating healthy foods, your body is going to show it.  And if you’ve kept your mind active by reading and learning new things, you’re going to be sharp as a tack.

But, unfortunately, most of us don’t start out life with perfect habits.  So, in our younger years, we may drink alcohol and eat unhealthy foods because our bodies seem to be able to handle whatever bad stuff we put in them.  And we may spend our free time zoning out in front of the television or watching YouTube videos instead of reading or doing something creative. 

But if you want to age well and be in optimal mental and physical shape at 40, 50, 60 and beyond, you need to start implementing good habits.  Today.  The good news is that the great habits that you implement today will pay off!  I can assure you that the positive lifestyle changes that you make now will show in how you look, feel and think 10 years from now.

Below are 6 things that you need to start doing today to age well.   It doesn’t matter what age you are.  You can start these good habits at any age, whether you are 17 or 70.  Adopt these habits, and you’ll feel great no matter what your age!

Move Your Body

If you want to age well, your goal should be to move your body regularly, throughout the day.  The worst thing that you can do to your body is to sit too much.  Because when you’re sitting, you aren’t burning calories, which leads to weight gain.  Moreover, when you don’t move enough, you don’t use your joints and muscles, which causes them to stiffen. 

So, during the day, make sure that you are moving.   A lot.  Now if you have a job that requires you to move around, this isn’t an issue.  For instance, school teachers are on their feet all day.  So, are people who stock the shelves in our stores.  And people with “walking” commutes likewise have movement built into their day.  But if you have a job that requires you to sit for most of the day, then you intentionally have to incorporate movement into your day.

For example, my husband has a sedentary job, so he makes sure to walk around when he is talking on the phone at work.  I spend a lot of time in front of my computer each day, so I have a timer on my watch that reminds me to get up and move at 50 minutes past every hour.  There are all kinds of ways to make sure that you keep moving throughout the day.

Not only should you be moving during the day, but also you should be doing some kind of exercise every day.   To do so, you have to figure out what works with your schedule.  For instance, I have a friend who is an early bird.  So, every morning he goes for a 2-mile run at 6 a.m.  Another friend has a more flexible schedule, so she goes to the gym or plays a game of tennis every day at mid-morning. 

Frankly, it doesn’t matter what time of day you choose to exercise.  Nor does it matter what kind of exercise you choose to do. You just need to get some amount of exercise in every day. 

The good news is that if you simply make regular movement and exercise part of your daily routine, you will age well!  You’ll avoid gaining unnecessary weight which is hard on your joints and your organs.  And you’ll be more limber, which will allow you to move with ease.

Adopt a Mediterranean Diet

If you want to age well and be physically healthy, even into your golden years, then you need to be careful about what you eat and drink.  One very popular approach to healthy eating these days is the Mediterranean Diet.

The Mediterranean Diet is based on the style of eating that people follow in Greece, Spain, Italy and France.  The focus is on eating foods from the following food groups:

1. Fruits and Vegetables
2. Whole Grains
3. Beans
4. Healthy Fats from Olive Oil
5. Nuts and Seeds, and
6. Fish

This diet has been shown to improve heart health, brain function, and digestion.  The good news is that due to the popularity of the diet, there are a multitude of cookbooks and websites that can provide you with delicious recipes that conform to this diet.

My husband and I have been following the Mediterranean Diet for years, and we are much healthier, as a result.  The majority of meals that I prepare are based around vegetables and beans, and once in a blue moon, we have a piece of fish.  Our diet is better for us, better for the environment, and it’s certainly better for our animal friends!

The reality is that you can eat terrible foods, like chips and pretzels, and you can drink beer and hard alcohol.  And nothing immediately will happen to you.  Life will go on as always.  But at a certain point, your unhealthy food choices will catch up with you in terms of excess weight and illness.  And your quality of life will be worse for no other reason than that you failed to make healthy food choices.  Why do that to yourself? 

Instead, master the art of aging by having a healthy diet.  Adopt the Mediterranean Diet, and enjoy having a healthy body for years to come.

Go to Bed at the Same Time as a 6^th Grader

Sleep is one of those things that we take for granted … until we have sleep issues.  Now, there’s lots of good advice out there about how to get a good night’s sleep:  Go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every morning.  Turn off any screens an hour before you go to sleep.  Listen to peaceful music before you go to sleep.

And all of that may work.  But if you really want to get rid of your sleep issues, here’s the solution:  Go to bed at the same time as a 6^th grader.  Which means going to bed every night sometime between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.  And then, before you turn out the light, sit in bed and read a book.  Meaning a physical, paper book.  (Screens have to go by the wayside once you’re in bed.)  Choose to read a book that is uplifting or humorous.  (A thriller is not what you should be reading before bed.)  And then read until you simply can’t keep your eyes open any longer.  For most of us, if we simply do that, we will go to sleep. 

Of course, the occasional bad night’s sleep isn’t a crisis.  It may cause us to be sleepy during the day.  Or, we may have mood issues or difficulty concentrating.  But long-term sleep deprivation is a problem. It has been shown to create a multitude of health issues, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and depression.  That’s because our bodies need a solid rest each night.

So, if you want to age well, don’t take your sleep for granted.  Make it a top priority.  A good night’s sleep is an essential part of staying mentally and physically healthy. 

Make Your Mental Health a Priority

Chronic stress is terrible for you.  Let me repeat that.  Chronic stress is terrible for you.  It’s terrible for both your physical and mental health.  Stress can lead to a multitude of issues, including insomnia, anxiety, headaches, depression, heart disease, upset stomach, and high blood pressure. 

The problem with chronic stress is that sometimes in life we just learn to live with it, and we don’t try to get rid of it.  For instance, there was a period of my life during which I lived with chronic stress. My home life very stressful, but instead of fixing the situation, I just tried to make the best of it.  I now realize that wasn’t the right answer.

Realize that your mental health needs to be your top priority.  That means that if your job is creating stress for you, find another one, and then resign.  If your marriage makes you unhappy, leave it.  And if there is someone in your life who intentionally creates stress for you, eliminate them from your life. 

I’ll concede that sounds harsh.  But the problem is that most of us choose to live with stress rather than to eliminate it from our lives.  We think to ourselves, “Well, I can tolerate this.  It isn’t so bad.”  But  the problem is that stress is bad. 

Unfortunately, we sometimes choose to live with stress because we think that we’ll regret making changes in our lives.   But I can assure you that you will not regret leaving a bad job, a bad marriage or any other bad relationship.  Your only regret will be that you didn’t leave sooner, and that you allowed your mental health to suffer.

So, take your mental health seriously.  Having good mental health is critical to your being able to age well.  So, if people or circumstances create stress for you, eliminate them from your life.  Because your mental health has to be your top priority.

Choose Your Inner Circle Carefully

One of the most important decisions that you will make in your life is who to include in your inner circle.  Your inner circle are the folks who will inspire you either toward success or mediocrity.  These folks will influence whether you have a healthy diet, whether or not your drink alcohol or use drugs, and whether you exercise.  And they will inspire you to be a highly moral and ethical individual – or not. 

So, if you want to age well, and ultimately become the most successful, healthy and emotionally mature individual possible, choose your inner circle wisely.  The people in your inner circle can either elevate you in life, or they can bring you down.

For example, if you have parents who don’t believe in you, and who are disinterested in your education and your future, keep them out of your inner circle.  If you don’t, their negative attitude will discourage you, and you’ll achieve far less than you should.

Similarly, if you have family members who smoke, drink alcohol, eat poorly or don’t exercise (or all of the above), keep them out of your inner circle, as well.  Your inner circle should contain people with exemplary health habits.  If people you know have unhealthy habits, you don’t want their bad habits to rub off on you.  Your job is to be as healthy as possible.

Your inner circle should be comprised of people who, with each passing year, inspire you to grow into the amazing person you were meant to be.  For example, for the past 20 years, I’ve had a friend who has been a consistent member of my inner circle.  He and I have spent the last two decades encouraging each other on a daily basis to be more physically fit, better parents, and overall kinder and wiser people.  

So, if you want to age well, choose your inner circle carefully.  Create an inner circle of individuals who will inspire you to become the healthiest, happiest and most decent person possible.

Become a Lifelong Learner

Unfortunately, we live in an age in which watching television has become the most popular way that people spend their free time.  It’s estimated that in the United States, adults spend an average of three hours a day watching television.  Wow.

I’ll concede that watching television is relaxing. But it isn’t going to help you to age well.  If you want to age well, you have to spend your free time on intellectual pursuits, such as learning about new subjects or developing new skills. 

Realize that learning new things not only will improve your cognitive abilities, but it’s also good for your emotional well-being.  After all, it’s enjoyable to learn a new skill or study a subject that particularly interests you.  Moreover, intellectual pursuits allow you to make social connections that you might not otherwise make.

For instance, before my mother passed away, she spent the final years of her life attending a German class offered by her local senior center.  As a child, she grew up in a German-speaking household, and in retirement, she wanted to have the opportunity to speak the language again.  Her German teacher was a wonderful lady, and my mother and the other students had great fun studying together.  It was truly the highlight of her final years.

I have another friend who is a Francophile.  His love of French has changed his life for the better.  He speaks in French with his son, and he has become an expert in both French cuisine and culture.  Moreover, he travels to France once a year to connect with old friends, speak the language and soak up all things French. 

So, if you want to age well, focus on learning new things and acquiring new skills with each passing year.  If you do so, your life will be so much richer and more fun! 

If you are seeking to master aging, start with the approaches above.  Realize that aging isn’t something to dread.  Rather, if you approach it correctly, your life can become better and better with each passing year! (To read more about how your best days lie ahead, click here.)