Aging Well | | tylerpaper.com

Thanks to smarter health choices, better nutrition and more access to healthcare, people are living longer. According to the Population Reference Bureau, the number of Americans ages 65 and older is projected to nearly double by 2060 with the age group’s share of the total population rising from 16 to 23 percent, Home Decor Ideas.

Making healthy lifestyle choices and establishing good habits when you are younger can do a lot of good when you’re older. Having a primary care provider, and seeing him or her on an annual basis, can help you prevent disease and chronic health conditions or diagnose disease during its earliest stages.

Here are eight additional tips to help you age well:

1. Watch your diet: Eating a higher nutrient diet can help you stay healthier and feel better. Put the focus on eating vegetables and fruit, lean protein, whole grains, and healthy fat. I Longevity is also linked with staying leaner.

2. Exercise regularly:150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week. This breaks down to five 30-minute workouts. Great options to work up a sweat include power walking, swimming, cycling and strength training.

3. Get enough sleep: Most older adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each night.

4. Quit smoking: Consider joining a smoking cessation program.

5. Limit alcohol consumption: As you age, alcohol can take more of a physical toll. Consider cutting back or abstaining if you find you don’t feel well after drinking alcohol.

6. Take care of your skin: your skin changes with age and often becomes drier, thinner and more susceptible to damage or skin infections. To help keep your skin healthy, use a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser and moisturizer. Using a humidifier can help your skin retain moisture.

7. Spend time with family and friends: Studies show that people who have a stronger support system with more satisfying relationshipstend to experience less age-related mental decline.

8. Keep learning and find new hobbies: Learning new things and trying different activities can help your mind stay sharp.

Now’s the time to explore activities you may have been too busy to try when you were younger.

For more information, contact Claudann Jones, Smith County Extension Agent for Family and Community Health at 903-590-2980 or email at [email protected]. Like our Facebook page: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Smith County. Stay well and stay safe.