Beat age ailments the healthy way
Take control of your lifestyle
Do lifestyle changes matter?
Traditionally, the view that ‘lifestyle changes later in life do not matter’ assumed that ageing adults who adopted a healthier lifestyle would not reap significant benefits.
There is now ample evidence, however, that lifestyle changes, including regular exercise, the moderate use of alcohol, no smoking, remaining socially active, and keeping mentally active, not only add years to a person’s life but, more importantly, improve their quality of life.
Healthy lifestyle changes also have a positive impact on the management and prevention of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
The one certainty is that if you continue with an unhealthy lifestyle, it will lead to faster deterioration of functional abilities and dependence on support services.
Which aspects of lifestyle must be considered?
Realistically, the lifestyle changes proposed by your family doctor may sound like the advice you received when you were young – eat healthy food, exercise regularly, stop smoking, lose weight and drink moderately. But, in the older person, these changes must be more comprehensive and should include specific adaptations that consider your functional status, chronic diseases, and social circumstances.
To be ‘well’ also means that you have to focus on every aspect of your ‘being’
– from physical and mental to psychological, emotional, and spiritual.
When it comes to ageing, the primary need is to be well so that you retain your ability to function optimally. This translates in practical terms to the ability to care for yourself without needing outside assistance when it comes to everyday tasks such as bathing, showering or preparing meals