LIfestyle Changes for Positive Health Benefits - Aging Gracefully

[HawkinsHollow]

I am 50 and while I don't feel or look (or act for that matter) my age yet I slowly feel the years creeping in. I learn A LOT from you old farts on here. Under your sometimes prickly exteriors there is years of collective knowledge and a yearning to contribute to the greater good of humanity. It shows and it is what makes this forum a great place.

As we age we learn a lot about ourselves and our bodies. My question to you is what have you learned about your bodies as you have aged? What things have caused a positive lifestyle change? Health benefit? What activity helped you get off some prescription? What supplements do you take and have you noticed a benefit? These things can be both mental and physical. Maybe it is something your friend has done and you wish you would have or could have. Maybe your grandparents lived to be 103 by doing this. ANYTHING to help us live a better healthier life as we age. Ready go!

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I will start... If I had one complaint about my health it would be flexibility and minor aches and pains in my hips and lower back after a day of activity. YOGA, I know I need more of it in my life because I just feel better both mentally and physically when I am doing it. I truly think it is one way to help your body age gracefully. Now I just need to get off my rear and make time for it a couple times per week.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Morning Hawkinshollow,
Get up every morning and try and enjoy another day on earth which is a true gift from God ! Have a positive outlook even when things are less than ideal !

Everyone is different in this world and we need to recognize this !

Lead a healthy lifestyle, for me at 73, I go for a long walk every day or an hike in better weather and keep active! For me there is no alcohol consumption during the week, on the weekends I have a couple of drinks ! That alone can get many people off of any blood pressure meds !

Get involved in projects or hobbies !
I have a few ! Keep your mind sharp by reading and for me I started learning a new language a few years ago !

Be kind and compassionate to people who have little or less than you !

These are a few ! Have a blessed and safe day !

 

[MattB4]

At 65 I am in good health and attribute much to having a daily walk of a few miles. Routine sleep habits and as the years passed having to add certain things such as blood pressure control medication, reflux medication, daily multivitamin, B-12 (due to pernicious anemia), and most recently supplemental fiber to help regularity. No smoking or illicit drugs.

I never was one for fanciful diets or extreme exercise routines. A daily multi mile walk out along the County road is a easy habit to maintain and does not put stress on the body like running does.

Low stress living is likely the key to getting the most lifespan out of anyone's body.

 

[bridge4]

I had someone come to where we work and talk about this. They encouraged a handful of things.

-Stretching regularly, and before any big activity
-You may not be able to stop all age related decay, but you can fight back. Do light strength training and body weight exercises.
-Keeping active and in shape doesn't mean doing the same thing everyday, if something gets easy, walk further, or do another pushup. You can build at this age, don't think you are shot yet! Even at 60-70 you can regain some of what you lost.

Sleeping and eating well obviously make the list as well. But it sounded like not giving up, and pushing back against father time is the best way to stop it.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Morning bridge4,

Do light strength training and body weight exercises.

Yes I forget that, closing in on 74 and I still do my pushups probably 4 or 5 times per week along with some incline sit-ups ! Good advice !

 

[bridge4]

Good Morning bridge4,

Yes I forget that, closing in on 74 and I still do my pushups probably 4 or 5 times per week along with some incline sit-ups ! Good advice !

I'm hoping at that age I'm doing that myself! Good for you! Even starting stretching in the morning, has stopped my back from hurting most the time. These little things can add up!

 

[riptides]

I think I will chime in, I took up karate in my younger years. As I aged the movements and mental disciplines, mediation while moving, helps immensely with life stresses.

Maybe look into Qi gong, also known as chi gong as a starter for mental to physical health.

 

[ronjhall]

At 82 I find the best I do is keep moving. When I am feeling bad. I go find something to do. But try to not overdo it. Can always finish it tomorrow.
With primary care Dr’s help I am off prescription drugs. I have no muscle or joint pains. You do not need to do hard exercise. 1/2 hour walk will get you 2 miles of walking.
Eat a good diet. I am not an expert. But not over eating seems to have helped me a lot.
My mom ran a seniors exercise class until she was 90. She lived to 96. Dementia was what she died from. My dad did the daily exercise until his drinking and smoking caught up with him at 87. Good genes help as you age. My siblings are all in their 80’s. Doing about the same as me health wise.

 

[NorTracNY]

Use it or lose it. As many others have mentioned, exercise is important. I'm a firm believer is all types of exercise. I so strength in various forms, light weight/high reps, heavy weight/low reps, and isometric exercises. For cardio, I do steady endurance, higher resistance (hill or resistance on a bike), HIIT, and plyometrics. I've been inspired by my martial arts instructor that never quits. He gained muscle mass at 76 and competed in body building.

I also have focused on nutrition. I use to try an avoid HFCS and "eat healthy." Well that's not enough. Someone pointed out that you need to take an opposite view of nutrition. It's not eat healthy and minimize the bad. You aren't eating healthy when you consume ANY bad stuff. Only put good food into your body. The aches and pains that I thought were normal with aging disappeared instantly when I changed my diet. Get rid of the inflammation in your body.

Stress will inflame your body. Find way to eliminate it. I'm slowly improving.

Sleep is huge. One bad nights sleep will take me 2 or 3 days to recover. I see it with some measurements I take regularly. My FBG will increase if I have a bad nights sleep, or I'm getting sick. Since my dietary changes, it's extremely rare that I get sick, but it's interesting that I get note it in my FBG measurement before I feel it.

I'm only in my younger 50s.

 

[dodge man]

Watch your weight. I’m trying to get down to a healthy bmi. I recently found out I was diabetic. I don’t need insulin injections and it’s most likely genetics but keeping extra weight off helps. See your doctor also. It can be tough, every time I find one they move away but that’s no excuse.

Bad back, join the club. It bothers a lot of people, I just have learned to quit when it starts to bother me to much. I also agree try to get some exercise every day, even if it’s small.

I retired about 6 years ago and I’ve have learned not to get lazy. It’s so easy to say I’ll do that tomorrow when you’re not doing anything but sitting around anyway.

 

[bcp]

Exercise your brain. Study something. Read a lot.

Change your handedness to become more ambidextrous. If you are right-handed, start using your right to hold things while the left does the activity. Then try other things left-handed.

Bruce

 

[ultrarunner]

I bought in a neighborhood where all my neighbors were in their 80’s to 106 living in homes they built back in the 1950’s-60’s

They were all active… several drove at 100 and all were happy if I can use this as a descriptive.

Vivian at 100 still drove the 1964 white V8 mustang she bought new… (she gave up driving because of vision)

They had routines… smoking was never and drinking was never or rare.

All came from hearty farm stock with several from pioneer Nevada families that were isolated growing up…

I’d say lack of bad habits, enjoyed their homes and always happy to have a neighbor drop in for a visit… they all had great relationships with offspring which I think brought great joy…

 

[Oaktree]

Change your handedness to become more ambidextrous. If you are right-handed, start using your right to hold things while the left does the activity. Then try other things left-handed.

Probably easier said than done if you're more than a few years into adulthood. I'm ambidextrous myself...it's not like I can do things equally well with both hands, it's more doing some things lefty, other things righty. No real pattern to it. I eat & use a computer mouse left-handed, write right handed and tool use is a mixed bag. Always been that way, must be genetic, mother was the same way.

 

[Phil Timmons]

A body in Motion stays in Motion. A body at Rest stays at Rest.

Had to do a few months in and out of a Hospital and Bed a couple years ago. Blood infection. Followed by 6 months or so in a wheelchair.

Back to jumping rope and some running now -- but all that is FAR better avoided than experienced.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

I've had chronic low back issues since the 80's. 2 years ago, I attended a monthlong PT at Dartmouth Medical Center NH, and after 4 weeks of intense 6hrs a day PT, I had a new back. Trouble is, I can't, ok choose not to keep that 6 hours a day PT going. So I do 1 hour in morning, and that gets me by.
Don't skip a yearly physical with a complete blood workup. I had a red flag detected in May 2024, diagnosed with Prostate cancer in Nov 2024, and surgery in June 2025. had I not had that, and Drs. tend to put off to every two years, it may have been too late. That cancer is the number 2 killer of men (cancer) and gets aggressive. Don't be a tough guy, and stand up for yourself medically.
Now I'm working on cabin fever. Tough winter around here.

 

[jfh28]

for your health if you smoke....stop.....it's the single biggest thing to help your overall health......for eating cut out all sugar......which is really hard to do as it's in everything so read the ingredients on the food labels and cut as much out as you can.....pay particular attention to the "added sugar" line because ideally you want that to be 0.....as a side benefit this will force you to eat healthier with more fruits and vegetables and you'll lose weight.....cancer also feeds on sugar in our bodies so that alone should be a good reason to cut back.......for your mind keep busy with things you like or are skilled at.......I volunteer for dog rescues doing graphic design so I'm always creating and learning new software......the internet allows us to offer our services way past our local area.......for your body.....keep moving....especially the legs......if your legs fail you lose your mobility......I walk a couple of miles a day mainly because the dogs want their walks....lol.....you don't need to set any speed records.....just moving is the goal.....I started doing some leg squats (no weights) when I noticed it was getting harder to get up from the floor....that's helped immensely......for your mental health interact with people......maybe get involved at your church if that's your thing......or get involved with something in the community.....or just make a point to talk to people when your out......for me my dogs are magnets so I know any place I go with them I will be surrounded by people wanting to know about them.....you can also join various online groups that share an interest you have......the goal is to interact in some way as it feeds our well being......also you have to learn to accept there are things you can't do anymore....it's just how it is so don't fight it......a couple of years ago I painted my barn because I knew the day was coming soon when it wouldn't be safe hanging off a 30' ladder with a paint brush........but really the most important thing is to find things you enjoy.....and do them!

 

[MattB4]

The odd things you find yourself resorting to in old age. My finger nails had got brittle and were becoming annoying to deal with as they cracked and tore in ways that a nail cutter would not repair. Researching ideas on brittle nails it occurred to me that the ladies were always doing things with their nails an maybe there was a lesson.

With some research I found a product called Steel nails in the nail polish isle and gave it a try. It is a clear finish, though it does make the nails a bit glossy, but more important it strengthens and helps the nails resist tearing and breaking.

So hear I am a old guy putting on nail polish. Strange things we do as we age.

 

[oosik]

Been a tough year for me. I'm 83. Exactly a year ago I fell and did serious damage to my lower back. I'm just now comfortable walking out in my meadows - with a cane. I get around the house fine with no assistance. I'm also type 2 diabetic.

Weight control is my MAJOR concern. Keep my weight under control - everything works a whole lot better. I'm also have a goal to regain muscle strength. The first three months of recovery from the fall - I lost muscle strength very rapidly. Barely able to stand - even with assist from my walker. Now I stand with no external assistance.

The thing I've noticed. It all goes so very fast - it can/is a real PITA to regain. And, falling is no fun at all.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Morning,

Good genes help as you age. My siblings are all in their 80’s. Doing about the same as me health wise.

Good Morning Ron,
I know this is an older post by you but that is so true. Of course along with everything else you mentioned in your original post. My Pop made it to 94, WW2 veteran Pacific Theater 1943 thru 1946, the last year getting our troops back from Europe on his ship the Wasp CV-18.
He kept himself busy after his retirement with flying his plane, he was an excellent watercolorist. He loved his classic music to name a few. His mind was still sharp at 94