As we all want to remain active and healthy well into our old age, let’s take a look at some life hacks for aging well. Most of it is common sense, but we all need to be reminded of these life hacks from time to time when we have lapses in judgment.
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Life Hacks For Defying The Aging Process And Boosting Longevity
Life Hacks For Keeping Yourself Healthy
- Be mindful of your genetics by looking at your parent’s and grandparent’s health. Knowing your risk factors based on your family history is a great idea, and you can manage your life based on those risks.
- Take care of small problems before they become big ones by seeing your doctor regularly and staying on top of your health issues.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Get a scale and weigh yourself at least once a week if not more.
- Get your vaccines so that you can stay away from the flu, shingles, and other preventable diseases to live healthier and longer. Also get your tetanus shot.
- Know all the warning signs for a heart attack and a stroke.
- Your immune system weakens as you age. Even a small injury can cause big problems without the proper shots.
- Avoid/manage chronic stress because it significantly impacts our bodies over time and can shorten our lifespans.
- Chronic stress significantly impacts our bodies over time, including shortening our lifespans
- Quit smoking and avoid other risky behavior.
- Stay out of the sun. This life hack for sun safety is very important. The sun is a lot more dangerous than it used to be. Use sunscreen and avoid prolonged exposure to not only ensure healthy skin as you age but to lower your risk of skin and other types of cancers.
- Wash your hands often because many diseases, particularly those that are fatal to the elderly, are preventable by simply washing your hands. Start the habit young, and it will carry you far in life.
- Get regular health screens. This includes scheduling screenings for colon, breast, and other types of cancers. Prevention and detection can help you live much longer.
- Take care of your teeth as those who neglect their teeth are more likely to die younger as an unhealthy mouth can lead to other, more significant health issues like heart disease.
- Use medications with caution when taking prescribed medications. Do not overuse over the counter drugs.
- Get plenty of vitamin D as this helps you to keep a healthy immunity and brain. Those with Vitamin D deficiency are at higher risks for death from cancer, heart disease, and cognitive impairment later in life. Spending just 10 minutes outside in the sun is often enough to elevate your levels, and eating a well-balanced, healthy diet will help, too.
- Ask for support if you get sick. If you are diagnosed with something serious, don’t go through it alone, ask for help and support, it makes a big difference.
- Start healthy habits young but remember it’s never too late. No matter your age, it’s always a good time to change your habits to healthier ones.
Life Hacks For Improving Your Diet?
- Eat Well as one of the most critical factors that determine your longevity is your diet. Eating well is one of the most important life hacks for longevity.
- Eat Less To Maintain A Healthy Weight. If you battle, try fasting. Intermittent fasting promotes healthy glucose levels and increases immunity.
- Eat lots of fatty fish. A diet rich in fatty acids, found primarily in fish, is known to promote brain health and cardiovascular function.
- Watch your blood sugar. Raised glucose levels indicate an unhealthy lifestyle. Keep your blood sugar in check to avoid diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems that can decrease your lifespan.
- Eat a Mediterranean diet. Those who eat foods from the Mediterranean region live longer than those from many other areas of the world and this diet is proven to promote the health of your heart.
- You could also try a ketogenic diet. Ketosis is when your body uses fats instead of glucose for energy. You can eat a ketogenic diet, which is low in carbohydrates, to promote ketosis. This type of diet promotes healthier brain function, reducing your risk of dementia and other cognition problems and also supports healthy weight loss.
- Don’t skip the chocolate. This is great news for chocolate lovers because cacao is the primary component in chocolate. Cacao improves our lifespan, cognition, and the health of the heart.
- A moderate amount of alcohol can be beneficial. Drinking small amounts of alcohol plays a role in reducing the risk of diabetes and heart diseases. Moderate alcohol consumption increases your body’s efficiency at absorbing glucose.
- Eat Blueberries because the polyphenols in blueberries can increase your lifespan, which is why they are often included in lists of “superfoods” and other foods that are packed with essential nutrients.
- Eat other purple foods. Key polyphenols are found in wine, concord grapes, blackberries, currants, and purple cabbage and carrots. You’ll get the cardiovascular and cognitive benefits that can prolong your life.
- Drink coffee as it reduces your risk of diabetes and promotes both brain and heart health with its polyphenols and antioxidants
- Enjoy fruits and veggies whole, not juiced as you will get all the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants with much less sugar. If you enjoy juice, try making your own. Here are some recipes.
- Skip Fatty Dairy Products. Cow’s milk can cause many problems, including breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers. Fatty dairy products can raise cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease. Those cultures that eschew dairy are among the healthiest in the world.
- Take a cue from other cultures. There are many cultures around the world who are known for their long lifespans. Japan, Greece, and Singapore are among those. Look closely at the diets of these countries to discover a variety of whole foods, fresh vegetables and fruits, very little processed food, and small indulgences.
- Eat slowly and enjoy each bite. Savoring your food and mindful eating allows you to enjoy it as well as recognize when you are full, so you can stop eating.
- Enjoy a cup of tea because both green and black tea improve cardiovascular function. Green tea’s antioxidants can protect your cognitive functions, too.
- Skip the soda as it raises your risk for many problems, including high blood pressure, elevated blood sugars, diabetes, and heart disease. If you like carbonation, try sparkling water, but skip anything with added colors, sugar, or artificial flavors.
- Enjoy Japanese dietary staples. The Japanese have more people over 100 than any other country in the world. Take your dietary cues from them by eating sweet potatoes, small amounts of fresh fish, a diet heavy in fresh vegetables, and turmeric, which is a powerful antioxidant. If you don’t eat turmeric you may want to add a supplement like the one below into your diet. Your joints will thank you later.
- Consider being a vegetarian, at least part-time. Why, because vegetarians have a longer lifespan than their meat-eating counterparts. Diets filled with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes promote healthier systems that lead to longer and healthier living.
- Eat Lutein for your eyes. Lutein is a carotenoid found in dark, leafy greens, other vegetables, and eggs and helps prevent macular degeneration and cataracts and has also been shown to prevent cognitive decline.
- Enjoy spicy foods because when you eat spicy foods, such as peppers, your body produces endorphins that reduce pain and inflammation within the body.
- Drink plenty of water as this promotes healthy kidneys and reduced the risk of several kinds of cancer. Water also supports healthy brain function.
- Eat nuts as they are high in protein, unsaturated fats, antioxidants, and vitamins. They also contain essential fats to support heart and brain health
Get Active Life Hacks
- Walk more as walking has consistently been shown to improve overall health and well-being. Walking is an excellent life hack for people, as those who continue to walk into their later years enjoy much more active lives and are stronger. Walking at a moderate to vigorous pace is a great way to stay in shape and protect your joints from damage.
- Move your body as much as you can, as those who lead sedentary lives are more likely to suffer from health issues and die younger.
- Do Yoga because Yoga has more than 80 benefits for your mind, body, and spirit.
- Lift weights, especially as you get older as it helps maintain lean muscle mass, staves off bone loss, and prevents muscle atrophy. Women should especially consider weight training after menopause to help live longer, healthier lives.
- Take the stairs as regular physical activity, such as taking the stairs, burns fat, and helps build strength.
- Dance your heart out as it is a great way to stay in shape. It also improves your mental outlook, when you spend time doing things with other people.
- Work on your balance, stay strong and stay flexible as this prevent falls and injuries. Yoga and tai chi are good ways to improve balance and can be practiced throughout your life.
- Stay away from rough sports. Football, boxing, and other contact sports can cause trauma to your body and brain that will shorten your life
Live The Life You Have
- Stay active throughout your life. Betty White once said, “There’s no spare time, so I’m active all the time. I think that forces you to stay well. To be 90 and still be working — that’s what I wouldn’t have expected. I’m the luckiest broad on two feet.” Regardless of your age, find a purpose and keep at it.
- Do what you love. “Anybody who has a great passion and can’t live without it, I think that helps you live. I think it keeps you well and happy and busy. It certainly has kept me busy,” said painter and academic Randolph Hokanson at 101.
- Give back to your community especially if you have the time. When you are older and retired, finding ways to be useful and relevant is important. Consider volunteering in your community. It will keep you active and provide you with meaning.
- Stay in school by continuing your education beyond high school. Keep learning s this has been correlated with longer lifespans. In other words, keep your mind sharp. If you keep learning you can promote brain health and help prevent dementia and other cognitive disorders. Try learning to paint, cook, a new language, or take a class or anything that stimulates your brain. You could even start your own online business.
- Find someone with whom to share it. Kirk Douglas, was 100 when he said, “I was lucky enough to find my soul mate 63 years ago, and I believe our wonderful marriage and our nightly ‘golden hour’ chats have helped me survive all things.” There is a strong correlation between long life and being happy with someone.
- Sex is important, because not only does sex promote intimacy and a closer relationship, it can also protect your heart and improve your sleep.
- Touch is important. Did you know that holding hands or touching the skin of your partner for just ten minutes each day helps lower your blood pressure and steady your heart rate?
- Spend time with those you love. “People often ask me [the secret to my longevity] and I always answer the same thing: love life. Live a simple life, play with your kids, enjoy the things you have, spend time with good loyal friends.” At 101, David Rockefeller knew something about living a long life.
- Make close friends and keep them. Social interaction is critical to longevity, and having a strong social network is important. Friends can offer you support, assist you when you need help, and promote healthy lifestyle choices when you engage in them together. Friends can help you manage your stress and strong social ties and human connections are always important but particularly in the later years.
- Make younger friends because when you are friends with people who are younger than you, their vitality can influence you. Having younger friends when you are elderly can have profound effects on mental health and cognition.
- Get a pet for a few reasons. They lower blood pressure, provide you with a sense of purpose, and give you companionship. Pets force us to focus outside ourselves, which can be healthy for many, especially the elderly.
- Keep your memory sharp. Learn memory techniques, play memory games, repeat information to help restore it in your memory, and take notes when needed.
- Get Plenty Of Rest. Proper sleep is one of those important life hacks for health in many ways, including cardiovascular and brain health. Sleep also rejuvenates the body, mind, and spirit.
- Don’t worry about the calendar because your age doesn’t matter unless you decide it matters. Focus on building and maintaining healthy habits and a life that makes you happy, and it won’t matter what day or month or even year it is.
- Read as this improves your memory and keeps your brain active.
- Play games because your brain craves novelty and the more you can offer that when you are older, the longer you will live to enjoy life. Crosswords, Sudoku, and other games provide needed cognitive stimulation to prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia.
- Use the sauna as regular use of a sauna has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and increase the lifespan
- Turn off the TV because those who sit and watch TV for long periods of time live shorter lives and have more health problems.
- Sing in a group. Singing lowers stress, and choir members see similar benefits as yoga practitioners.
- Embrace nature. Spending time outdoors is a great way to stay active as it boosts your mood, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and lowers stress levels
- Don’t retire early if you love your job. When studying people who have lived long lives, researchers have noted that people who worked longer at satisfying jobs were more likely to live longer, as this promotes life purpose, brings fulfillment and promotes life satisfaction
- Meditate as meditation promotes mental well-being, reduces stress and pain, and can improve memory and cognition. Many studies find meditation to increase gray matter in the brain that deteriorates with age. Studies find those who meditate live longer.
- Learn a new language as this exercises the brain by keeping the mind sharp and stimulated and helps to prevent dementia.
- Take more vacations to reduce stress and those who are able to enjoy leisure time throughout their lives, in balance with work and family, live longer.
- Move abroad as ex-pats enjoy many benefits, including improved diet and access to recreation. Select a country whose life expectancy is longer, and you’ll reap many rewards. This one is obviously not a choice for everyone.
- Take naps as this improves healthy brain function and your heart health.
- Laugh a lot as this lowers your blood pressure, improves your mental outlook, and reduces stress.
- Enjoy music because listening to music boosts brain function and focus. Music keeps you exercising longer Music has numerous proven benefits for mind, body, and spirit.
- Grow something as planting a garden or having indoor houseplants gives you something to care for while promoting activity. Indoor plants help to purify your air, and an outdoor garden allows you to enjoy fresh air and sunshine.
- Stay productive as this further promotes happiness, fulfillment, and life purpose, which leads to longevity and better health in mind, body, and spirit.
- Keep your home safe. Install detectors for smoke and carbon monoxide. Have your home tested for radon and lead. Take precautions to prevent household accidents, which are a leading cause of death. If you live in a high crime area protect your home with burglar bars and electric fences to promote relaxation and less worry.
Life Hacks for Your Mindset And Your Attitude
If you think you are ageless, you will act and feel so.
- Practice gratitude for what you do have. By looking forward, not back, you promote longevity and happiness.
- Be conscientious because those who live the longest tend to be conscientious about most things in their life. Those who are persistent and organized tend to actually live longer, they make healthier choices and are more careful, in general.
- Count what matters. “Let us never know what old age is. Let us know the happiness time brings, not count the years.” ~ Ausonius.
- Stay Positive. Norman Lloyd said, at the age of 102, “I think the word that I might apply here is ‘attitude.’ You must be active, you must be positive, even if things don’t go the way you want them to. I think if you allow yourself to mope and feel sorry for yourself, it can take years off your life.”
- Treat others with kindness. Gertrude Weaver, who lived to be 116 years old, attributed her many years to this, “Treat people right and be nice to other people the way you want them to be nice to you.”
- Mark Twain once wrote, “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”
- Strike a balance between positivity and resilience. Those who are overly optimistic may have trouble rebounding from setbacks. Getting over obstacles is just as important as a sunny outlook.
- Remember all the things that are better with age including wine, cheese, whiskey, and jeans. Nobody even likes a new cast iron skillet.
- Those who have a positive attitude about aging actually live longer than those who dread it or have other strong negative emotions about getting older. Sophia Loren once said, “There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.”
- Believe in something, whether it is religion or personal spirituality, those who have strong beliefs are more likely to live longer than non-believers.
- Look forward – “I suppose real old age begins when one looks backward rather than forward.” ~ Mary Sarton
- Embrace challenges to combat dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, use your brain in new and challenging ways. Using self-discipline to focus your attention will help you stay alert and cognitively healthy longer.
- Set personal or career goals and challenge yourself to meet them by a certain time. As you age, continue to reassess your goals in life and set new targets to develop cognitive habits that will benefit you well into your later years.
- It’s a journey, not a destination. “I believe the second half of one’s life is meant to be better than the first half. The first half is finding out how you do it. And the second half is enjoying it.” ~ Frances Lear
- Don’t give up. “Do not go gentle into that good night but rage, rage against the dying of the light.” ~ Dylan Thomas
- Don’t be afraid to consider death. You are more likely to make healthier life choices when you occasionally think about your own mortality
- Remember that each day is a new opportunity. No matter your age, today is a chance to make better choices that can help you live longer, healthier, and happier.
I hope you have enjoyed reading these life hacks for ageless living. I don’t know about you but I now feel inspired to go for a lovely long walk in the sun.