By Schuyler Corrigan

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May 14, 2024

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Aging is a privilege, and our quality of life and overall vitality are some of the most important factors in aiding our ability to enjoy life in our later decades. So often, when we reach the age of sixty or seventy, suddenly, we wish we had done things a little differently earlier in life so our bodies felt stronger and healthier in our later years. As we age, the body naturally declines and slows down. This is perfectly normal; however, the habits we maintain earlier in life either support a healthier aging process or contribute to a more rapid decline. 

 

One of the first things to consider when you take on a healthy approach to aging is your mindset. Don’t resist the body’s natural progression or fight the slow changes as we move from decade to decade. Taking a flexible and mindful approach can help you develop self-awareness. We all need to notice when things shift in our bodies so that we can provide our bodies with what they need. In a world where ‘anti-aging’ products are everywhere, consider the benefits of pro-aging when you take on habits that will care for your body every day through every birthday. Some of these are included below, and your naturopathic doctor can talk with you in detail about each health approach to aging.

Read More: What Do We Know About Healthy Aging?

 

Continue To Move Your Body Through Daily Exercise

 

Our physical abilities will change over time, but maintaining a strong exercise routine early in life and throughout your forties, fifties, and sixties provides many benefits. 

Some include:

• Supporting cardiovascular function, including healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels
• Supporting blood sugar balance
• Enhancing mental health 
• Maintaining muscle mass to support bone production and osteoporosis prevention 
• Contributing to increased mobility later in life

 

Start now: If you don’t know where to start with maintaining an exercise routine, take a walk every day for at least 15 minutes. Take a group class at your local gym, or visit a local community pool to swim if your joints are sensitive to impact exercise. 

 

Maintain A Nutrient-Rich, Whole-Food Diet 

We can’t stress enough how important your daily diet is to your overall vitality and your body’s ability to maintain a healthy aging process. Feeding ourselves a nutrient-rich diet contributes to healthy hormone production, bone health, and overall gut and mental health. It also helps to promote strong cardiovascular health and reduce age-related diseases like metabolic syndrome, hyperlipidemia and hypertension, osteoporosis, obesity, and diabetes. We often recommend nutrition habits similar to a Mediterranean Diet and tailor our nutrition suggestions to the individual based on their health needs or food intolerances. Generally, limiting alcohol, sugar, soda, and processed foods and avoiding smoking have a positive impact on a healthy aging process. 

 

Read More: Nutrition Services at Richmond Natural Medicine

 

Participate In Your Community

When looking at the aging populations in Blue Zones, one of the key characteristics of these areas is a strong sense of community involvement, purpose within the community, and feeling supported in an extended family structure. This is relevant because – as we age – this can be very isolating if we are not around family or our community is not immediately nearby. Surrounding yourself with friends or family that encourages you to live a happy and vibrant life while you also feel a sense of purpose within this group is noticeably important to a long and contented aging process. Activities such as dancing, singing, and learning new things regularly have been shown to correlate with healthy cognitive function and reduced risk for dementia.  

 

Create Habits For Stress Reduction And Management

 

Stress will be present throughout life; however, how we respond to stress affects how our bodies react. Chronic stress is known to be an inflammatory process, elevating cortisol levels, increasing blood pressure, and disrupting digestion. Learning helpful and realistic stress reduction practices to implement during seasons of life when stress feels high can dramatically decrease the negative effects of stress as we age. 

 

Get Adequate Sleep

 

Sleep is the body’s time to rest and repair from the day. We need consistent, adequate sleep every night for our bodies to function properly, and the more we go without enough sleep, the more the body will suffer. Lack of sleep can lead to decreased immune function, higher stress levels, quickening the aging process, and a lack of energy throughout the day, leading us to reach for quick fixes like processed carbohydrates or caffeinated drinks. Do your best to prioritize sleep with a consistent evening routine and a comfortable sleep environment. Our doctors at Richmond Natural Medicine can work with you individually to support sleep quality if you are struggling. 

 

Read More: RNM Tips for Improving Sleep 

 

Aging is a process, and we don’t always need to do everything 100% perfectly all the time. We keep these overarching habits in mind throughout the weeks and months of our lives, and if we can maintain these healthy approaches to aging about 80% of the time, that’s a great goal. 

 

Experience vibrant aging with Richmond Natural Medicine by your side. Embrace the privilege of growing older by cultivating habits that nurture your body, mind, and spirit. Our team supports you in maintaining a strong body through exercise, nourishing yourself with a nutrient-rich diet, fostering community connections, managing stress, and prioritizing restorative sleep. Start your journey towards a fulfilling and vibrant life today with Richmond Natural Medicine.