Chronic health conditions become a greater concern as you get older. Getting older does not mean you will have one or more chronic conditions. In fact, you can take actions that may reduce your chance of chronic illnesses, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and lung disease. At the same time, these actions may help you remain mobile, independent, and active while supporting your general well-being. However, your genetics, medical history, family history, environment, and access to care can influence your health. Fortunately, many chronic conditions share some of the same risk factors. You can manage some of those risks with physical activity, healthy food choices, quitting tobacco use, getting enough sleep, and preventive care. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists tobacco use, poor diet, inactivity, and excessive alcohol use as major risks for chronic health conditions. Making changes can be a simple part of your lifestyle. Remember, the goal of a healthy lifestyle is not perfection.
Resource: cdc.gov
Table of contents
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
1. Make Healthy Foods the Focus of Your Meals
A Healthy diet supplies the nutrients your heart, muscles, bones, brain, and immune system need. A healthy eating pattern can include vegetables and fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, seafood, lean meats and poultry, and foods that are low in added sugars and saturated fat. This type of eating pattern may support your heart, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. Older adults need to pay attention to getting enough protein, vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, fiber, and water. Protein is important for muscles. Fiber can support healthy digestion and the heart. Water is also important. Older adults may have a reduced sense of thirst.
Consider some practical healthy eating patterns:
- Add a fruit and vegetable to every meal
- Make whole-grain bread, oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa some of your go-to carbohydrates
- Plan protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Use herbs and spices for flavoring to cut down on salt or sodium
- Have water available throughout the day
- Limit processed foods, sugary drinks, and high-saturated-fat foods to occasional use
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommend that older adults eat foods from every food group, choose foods that are not too high in added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, and drink plenty of water.
Resource: pubs.rsc.org
2. Move Your Body Throughout the Week
Being active is good for your heart, lungs, muscles, bones, and balance, and may protect your brain, too. In addition, activity may also manage blood pressure, blood sugar, mood, sleep, and day-to-day function. For example, walking, gardening, aquatic exercise, cycling, social dancing, and even doing household tasks count as physical activity. Federal physical activity guidelines suggest at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activities for most adults. In addition, older adults should do muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week, and they are also encouraged to do balance training. However, you do not need 30 minutes of continuous exercise to be active. For example, ten-minute walking breaks, seated exercises, light resistance bands, dumbbells, or regular movement around your home can help you become more active. Most importantly, choose activities that feel comfortable and suitable for your current health. If you have chest pain, fainting, severe shortness of breath, recent surgery, frequent falls, or a medical issue that affects your mobility, be sure to ask your doctor before starting a new exercise program.
Resource: mayoclinichealthsystem.org
3. Protect Your Sleep
Sleep is the time when your body repairs tissue, balances hormones, maintains immunity, and processes memories. Poor sleep can raise the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and depression. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests adults get at least seven hours of sleep a night. A regular sleep routine can signal to your body that it is time to rest. It’s a good idea to go to bed and wake up at about the same time, keep your bedroom cool and quiet, avoid caffeine in the evening, and steer clear of screens before bed. In addition, daytime exercise and morning sunlight may help regulate your sleep schedule. If you regularly snore or wake up gasping, wake up with a headache, or have trouble staying awake during the day, these are common symptoms of sleep apnea or other sleep disorders and should not be seen as a normal part of aging. Talk to your doctor about these symptoms.
4. Stay Connected
Staying socially connected is a healthy part of aging. Maintaining regular contact with loved ones, friends, neighbors, religious groups, interest groups, and volunteer organizations may support emotional and mental health. Social isolation and loneliness have been associated with depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, memory decline, and other health concerns in older adults. Maintaining contact does not have to mean filling your calendar. A weekly phone call, a stroll in the neighborhood, a library group, or an afternoon lunch with a friend can all support connection. Consider joining a class or group, volunteering, attending an older adult center, or asking a loved one to help you get to an appointment if it’s difficult to get out. Let your doctor know if you are struggling with loneliness, grief, anxiety, or sadness that may be affecting your sleep, appetite, motivation, or interest in the day-to-day activities. Your emotional health is just as important as your physical health.
5. Don’t Smoke and Limit Alcohol
Not smoking is perhaps the most significant action for long-term health. Quitting may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, lung disease, and type 2 diabetes, even in people who have smoked for decades. Ask your doctor about smoking cessation counseling, nicotine replacement therapies, prescription medications, or cessation programs. It can take multiple attempts for people to quit smoking, and each attempt can give information about how to be successful next time. Alcohol can interact with medications, raise fall risk, cause sleep disruption, and affect your liver, heart, and brain. You may want to consider not drinking alcohol at all. Ask your doctor about what alcohol is appropriate for you based on your medications, history, and fall risk.
6. Attend to Preventive Care
Healthy lifestyle choices go hand in hand with regular visits to your doctor. These visits allow your doctor to talk with you about your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, vaccines, medications, fall risk, memory concerns, mood, and recommended screenings. Screening requirements vary based on your age, gender, family history, prior screening results, smoking history, and other health risks. You and your doctor may decide to be screened for diabetes, osteoporosis, colon or colorectal cancer, breast or lung cancer, or other problems. Dental and eye care are also a big part of your overall care plan and support independence. AgeWell Medical is a primary care practice for adults 60 and older only. At each appointment, bring a list of the prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, and supplements you take, so the provider can review this with you.
7. Make Healthy Choices a Routine
Making big changes to your lifestyle all at once may not be practical to start. Try choosing a single healthy behavior that you can easily add to your everyday activities, like a 10-minute walk after lunch, adding vegetables to your evening dinner, or setting a bedtime each night. Consider these ideas for making new healthy habits stick:
- Choose just one habit to focus on.
- Link this habit to a specific action you already take every day.
- Set a realistic first step.
- Track your progress on a calendar.
- Recruit a friend or family member for support.
- Bring up setbacks to talk over with your medical team.
Your health care needs are not always constant over time. A strategy that works well right now may need to be adjusted after an illness, change in medication, a fall or injury, or a loss of mobility. Your provider can help you identify safe and effective next steps that address your current situation.
Final Thoughts
Preventing and managing chronic disease happens with consistent healthy choices every day and through regular check-ins with your doctor. These include nutritious food, regular movement, quality sleep, meaningful social interactions, and abstaining from tobacco. AgeWell Medical Associates is a primary care practice that cares only for adults 60 and older in Colorado Springs, and we are here to support your long-term health and independence, too. Contact us to talk through your risk factors, develop a plan for routine screenings, discuss lifestyle changes that support your current health status, and to work collaboratively through any conditions that may have already developed.