Living a Long and Healthy Life

You’ve probably heard the phrase “aging like fine wine.” Everyone wants to age gracefully, of course—but how? For some of us, the changes in our health that happen as we age can be a source of anxiety or concern. After all, growing older is not preventable, and both genetic and environmental factors can influence the aging process.

The good news is that there are many ways we can take charge of our physical and mental health at every stage of life—not just to increase the number of years we live, but to enhance the quality of those years. This is the key difference between lifespan and healthspan.

The concept of healthspan is gaining importance because it emphasizes not just living longer, but living better. It encourages us to adopt preventative measures and make lifestyle choices that support healthy aging and long-term well-being.

Preventive Health Care

Aging does increase the risk of certain health conditions like hypertension, arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes, according to the National Council on Aging. However, seeing your primary care provider regularly and following their recommendations can help you manage the progression and severity of such conditions. Here are a few ways you can work with your provider to keep track of your health:

• Annual wellness exams: Even if you’re feeling well, annual visits are beneficial to your overall health and help maintain a relationship with your provider. If you have any chronic conditions, annual wellness exams are a good time to check in with your provider about condition and prescription management and get advice about how to stay healthy and prevent disease.

• Screenings and vaccinations: Screenings are important at any age, but older adults should make sure to get screened for specific conditions including colorectal cancer, high cholesterol, and vision and hearing loss. Staying up to date on immunizations can also protect you from illnesses to which older adults may be more vulnerable, such as flu, shingles and pneumococcal disease.

• Medication adherence: Taking medications as prescribed—including dosage, time of day, and more—can greatly improve health outcomes. If you have questions or concerns about your medications, don’t hesitate to let your provider know.

Lifestyle Choices

Along with receiving regular clinical care, adopting supportive lifestyle habits can also help you stay healthy.

• Nourishing the body: A healthy diet—including fruits and vegetables, whole gains, and lean proteins—is critical to maintaining a high quality of life. The Mediterranean diet is considered a gold standard for weight management due to its nutrient-rich, heart-healthy, and lean protein foods that help to sustain a healthy weight. Making sure your weight is within a normal range can mitigate the symptoms of hypertension and diabetes, as well as relieve pressure on your joints and heart. It’s also important to abstain from smoking and limit your intake of refined sugars, saturated fats, and alcohol.

• Staying active: Your body strength and range of motion are closely tied to living independently. Regular stretching and exercise, as well as physical therapy if needed, can improve balance and mobility, lower blood pressure, improve mental cognition, control pain from conditions like arthritis, and lower fall risk. And regular cardiovascular exercise can protect against heart disease, stroke, dementia, and other disorders.

• Managing stress levels: Keeping your stress levels in check can help delay or prevent conditions like depression, anxiety, dementia, hypertension, and heart disease. You can do this by exercising, getting enough rest, and learning mindfulness techniques like breathing and meditation.

Embrace the aging process. Focus on what you can do to stay healthy, and remember, you have access to expert primary care providers at both your onsite Health Center and The Health Center at Hudson Yards who will guide and support you at any stage of life.