While it’s an indisputable fact that our bodies change as we age, that doesn’t mean our health needs to suffer. Beyond clocking enough shut-eye, staying active and eating your daily five and two, there are plenty of other things you can do to ensure you’re comfortable and content in your golden years.
“A healthy lifestyle has long been recognised as the most effective way to maintain health and fight ageing,” explains Sandra Villella, a consultant naturopath at Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving our knowledge of women’s health.
“Research shows maintaining adequate nutrition, moderate exercise and a good mental state can effectively delay ageing.”
By implementing these easy-to-action tweaks, you can keep both body and brain in good form for a longer, healthier life.
1. Prioritise regular health checks
When it comes to many chronic conditions, early detection
is key. Screening programs are important because they pick up on issues even if you’re not showing any signs or symptoms. So even
if you feel healthy, it’s wise to keep up to date with your check-ups. It’s recommended that women see their doctor for a general check-up once a year. For midlife and older women, important checks include heart health and bone density, diabetes screening, breast, bowel cancer and cervical screening. Others include dental check-ups, regular skin self-checks and sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening if required. “If you find health problems early, you have a better chance of treating and managing them,” says Dr Fiona Jane, a GP with Jean Hailes.
Everyone’s risk is different, so talk to your doctor to determine the frequency that’s right for you.
2. Start strength training
Muscle mass decreases around three to eight per cent each decade after age 30, and this decline is even steeper after the age of 60. This decrease in muscle – which is called sarcopenia – can increase the risk of falls and broken bones, and impair your ability to perform everyday tasks.
“The best management is to try and build and maintain muscle mass by resistance exercise and adequate nutrition,” explains Dr Jane.
Maintaining muscle doesn’t mean you have to sign up for a gym. Doing simple resistance exercises, either with small hand weights or your body weight, twice a week at home is enough. To keep building muscle make sure to increase the weight or repetitions once it feels too easy.
3. Schedule in socialising
It’s estimated that 25 per cent of Australians aged over 65 live alone, which makes finding a community all the more important.
“As we age, our close relationships change. Our children start their own lives, our partners may become ill or pass away, and often, our friends do too,” explains Jean Hailes psychologist Mariela Rossi.
“Although it seems increasingly difficult to meet new people, establishing new relationships can enrich our sense of wellbeing.”
Not only can seeing others give you a spike of the feel-good hormone dopamine but, according to researchers at UNSW, social interaction also reduces your risk of dementia and increases longevity. Joining a local social club or finding a hobby will help maintain those strong social bonds as you age, as well as keep your brain sharp.
4. Watch your stress levels
Stress causes us to produce more of the hormone cortisol, which is linked to weight gain (especially around the middle) as well as depression and anxiety.
“Going through stressful situations is part of our lives; however, exposure to chronic stress has a negative impact on our body and brain,” says Mariela.
Eating a healthy diet, regularly exercising, and getting plenty of sleep all help, but getting involved in daily activities you enjoy as well as having a sense of humour are also imperative when it comes to longevity.
5. Consider a supplement
Adding a supplement can help fill gaps in your diet. Vitamin D contributes to bone density which can limit the damage caused by falls, along with the onset and severity of osteoporosis. Similarly, calcium is vital for preventing bone fractures, which are common in later life. A supplement is handy especially if you’re lactose intolerant or don’t eat a lot of dairy.
“Ageing can affect the absorption of some micronutrients from the gut, such as B6 and B12, iron and calcium, as the stomach produces less acid which can reduce the absorption of these essential nutrients,” confirms Dr Jane. Supplements can interact with medication, so check with your GP before adding vitamins to your diet.
6. Eat more protein
While protein is an essential part of a healthy diet, we need to eat more of it as we get older (researchers recommend consuming 1-1.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight for older adults compared to 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight for all adults).
This is because as we age our bodies become less able to convert the protein we eat into muscle. Not only does it help build and maintain strong muscles and bones, it also helps us better recover from illness and injury, and reduces the likelihood of falls and fractures.
To help make increasing your protein intake more palatable, experiment with different sauces and seasonings at lunch and dinner. You can also incorporate high-protein snacks like Greek yoghurt or hard-boiled eggs.