Healthy Aging Tips

September is Healthy Aging Month which may not sound very important, but following certain tips can add years to your lifespan, make you feel stronger and look younger. These tips are not life altering, but simple changes to your schedule can have an amazing outcome. Follow these tips and take a path to a better future.

1. Get moving: Exercise regularly to maintain a healthy body and brain.

2. Stay social: Take a class, volunteer, play games, see old friends, and make new ones. Check us out on Facebook

3. Bulk up: Eat beans and other high-fiber foods for digestive and heart health.

4. Add some spice: Add herbs and spices to your meals if medications dull your taste buds. View our Medication Organizer

5. Stay balanced: Practice yoga or tai chi to improve agility and prevent falls. Stretch on a comfortable Yoga Mat

6. Take a hike: Brisk daily walks this September can bolster both your heart and lungs.Count your steps with a Mini Calorie Pedometer

7. Sleep well: Talk to a sleep specialist if you don’t sleep soundly through the night.

8. Beat the blues: If you’ve been down for a while, see a doctor. Depression can be treated.

9. Don’t forget: To aid your memory, make lists, follow routines, slow down, and organize.Quiz yourself with a Chess Set

More helpful aging tips:

1) Tips from Gary W. Small, MD, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and director, UCLA Longevity Center

• Take a daily brisk walk with a friend -- you’ll get an aerobic workout, and the conversation will exercise your brain and reduce stress.
• To help control the urge to overindulge, just imagine eating that sweet treat. Research shows the fantasy dessert will satisfy you, and you’ll actually eat less.

2) Tips from Carla Perissinotto, MD, MHS, assistant professor of medicine, division of geriatrics, department of medicine, University of California, San Francisco

• Every few months, review your over-the-counter drugs with your doctor for any potentially unsafe ingredients. I do this for my parents whenever I visit their home.
• Try yoga. All types help maintain physical and emotional health. My favorite is Kundalini yoga, which focuses on meditation and strengthening.

3) Tips from Elizabeth Eckstrom, MD, MPH, director of geriatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Ore.

• Follow a Mediterranean diet to help prevent memory impairment and heart problems. I love salmon covered with fresh thyme and lemon slices and grilled on a plank.
• I do tai chi three days a week, and it dramatically improves my balance. Seniors can do it, too, and cut their risk of falls by almost half.