Making small changes in your daily life can help you live longer and better! In this fast-paced world, it’s essential to prioritise our well-being at every stage of life. Today we want to highlight the importance of healthy ageing and share some valuable tips to help you!

(stick with me on this as I am sure you will learn something from it here 🙂

Ageing is a natural process and with it comes unique challenges and opportunities. Embracing healthy ageing means nurturing your physical, mental and emotional well-being, allowing you to live life to the fullest. 

There are 2 types of ageing:
Intrinsic, which is the genetic process that occurs naturally through time. As we age our hormone balances change and free radicals within our bodies begin to take degenerative effects. We start to see this damage in our skin and other organs due to the body not being able to perfectly repair the cell damage.

Extrinsic, where ageing is caused by external factors that can speed up the ageing process. This should be where your focus lies. Lifestyle choices such as smoking, stress, poor diet and excessive alcohol consumption combined with the sun’s harmful rays can all contribute to the ageing process. We can’t fight our genetics, but with the right approach to our health and focusing on a healthy lifestyle we can reduce extrinsic ageing.

Staying healthier and active as we age is called improving our ‘healthspan’ i.e., not just living longer (lifespan) but remaining in the best condition we can. Here are the diet and lifestyle changes our we recommend to protect your healthspan, starting today:

Good quality sleep & stress management – the body detoxes itself overnight, you need optimal sleep for your body to recover. Making sure you get good quality sleep along with managing stress is very important. A decrease in one can lead to an increase in the other and vice versa! Using meditation, or breathwork, natural light and spending time in nature can help both of these.

Stock up on vitamins (through whole nutrition!) – nourish your body through your diet. Focus on a balanced diet rich in vegetables, whole grains and good protein sources. A lack of vitamins increases the fragility of the skin and the body loses the ability to heal itself. Aim to eat a colourful plate including as many natural and real food sources as possible. Always try and get them through whole foods rather than supplementation if you can. Protein is the director in the construction and repair of tissue in your body. Your tissue cells are in a constant cycle of renewal, without the right protein intake the ageing process can be accelerated through slowed cell growth

Keep fitness levels up – stay physically active. It is recommended that 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week is the cornerstone of healthy ageing. Including x2 strength sessions per week to really utilise this benefit for your muscle mass, bone density and overall health.

Stay hydrated – water in our body provides many functions, from regulating temperature to helping cells transport nutrients, as well as maintaining body volume (2-3 pints daily to keep your body running efficiently)

Exercise your brain – keeping your mind sharp and agile by challenging it with puzzles, brain games or learning new skills. Engaging in mentally stimulating activities can help prevent cognitive decline and improve your memory. 

Social connection – maintaining strong social connections is vital for our emotional and mental well-being. Stay connected with friends, family and the community. Join clubs, volunteer or participate in group activities to foster a sense of belonging and purpose.

Regular health checkups – this one is simple…stay on top of them! Make sure to schedule regular checkups and screenings as advised. Early detection and intervention can prevent or manage age-related health conditions effectively. 

Now moving on to some slightly different ones you may not think about but can be just as important:

Embrace positivity & gratitude – cultivate a positive outlook on life and focus on joy, experiences and people that enrich your life, practice gratitude daily to approach ageing with optimism.

Stay active and engaged – keep up with things you love and enjoy doing. Whether it is hobbies, or exploring new interests, an active engagement in these things keeps you motivated, fulfilled and excited about life! Even if you are retired (or when you do!) keep these interests going!

Last, but certainly not least; accept and embrace change. Our priorities and abilities may shift as we age. Embrace these changes with grace and adapt to any new circumstances, it will allow you to still grow and find joy in new experiences 

I know that was a big list of things to consider; you don’t need to be perfect at all of these. Even if this has widened the picture and helped you realise where you can make small changes to help yourself, that’s what we want!

Our key takeaways should be that ageing is a natural process and can bring with it many advantages in terms of personal development, and the input and wisdom we have to offer society. The downside is that our bodies do slowly shut down, but it is something to be combatted and we can tune into the things we can control to help our bodies out!

It is not about defying age but rather about living a fulfilling life that celebrates your journey and experiences. Cherish every moment and know each chapter of life brings with it, it’s own beauty.