8 Best Ways to Make Aging Easy and Fun
Experts recommend easy ways to streamline the aging process.
So many people dread aging. However, you can make it easier and more fun. After speaking to a handful of experts, one thing became clear: If you want to streamline the aging process, self-care is crucial. Taking care of your health will enable you to be the best version of yourself and avoid unnecessary trips to the doctor. Here are 8 ways to make aging easy and fun, according to experts.
When you had children you probably baby-proofed your house. As you age, you should consider "you-proofing" it, encourages Cassandra Happe, WalletHub analyst, like DIY tricks to ease daily tasks and boost safety. "These clever tips, from fridge organization with Lazy Susan's to simplified TV remotes, make life more manageable," she says. "Enhance safety with bed assist rails and key turners, and improve visibility with light-sensitive night lights."\
Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN, celebrity nutritionist and CEO of Nutritious Life, recommends scheduling exercise "like doctor's appointments or meetings," she says. "Look at your week and add to your calendar exactly when, where and how you exercise. This way it is just part of your day and there is less room to skip it." Also, it enables you to see your mix of exercise. For example, you weight train on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, do a spin class on Tuesdays, and play tennis on Thursdays.
She also suggests using exercise as an excuse to be social, instead of eating and drinking. "This one is a double win," she says. You will likely cut calories or alcohol down, while getting a workout in. "Often in our 50s and beyond, our schedules are such that we have the freedom to make these social exercise activities happen. Pickleball anyone?"
Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, media dietitian and creator of BetterThanDieting.com, and author of Read It Before You Eat It – Taking You from Label to Table, suggests educating yourself about your body. "As an example, getting regular A1C blood tests, knowing your blood pressure and checking cholesterol levels can give you essential information about how you may need to proceed to squelch health issues that may be lurking," she says.
Want to make your life easier and more fun? Keep as many health problems at bay as possible by eating as if your life depends on it, encourages Taub-Dix. "We can't push pause on our life clocks, but we can help to slow down the process of aging by taking a closer look at what we put in our bodies, not just on them. As with most important things in life, balance is key, so don't skip meals and don't avoid entire food groups. Be selective about what you're reading and who is writing it, and be wary of misinformation."
"Stop saving those chores for 'someday' and start putting those photos in albums, donating those clothes you'll never wear, giving away the dishes you'll never use, and scale down," suggests Taub-Dix. " Take a walking tour of your own neighborhood (and it's good exercise, too), go to a local museum or grab coffee with a friend you haven't seen in ages."
Be confident, be yourself, be authentic, says Taub-Dix. "Instead of feeling like we've come to a secure place, some of us feel less confident as we age. If you're on social media, the fire of self-doubt might only grow hotter by highlighting those who seem to look younger, thinner, richer, more popular and more vibrant. happier and more vibrant," she explains. "Just keep in mind that you're partly seeing a curated highlight reel instead of one's real life. Count your blessings instead of your followers and read a good book instead. If you're lucky enough to be healthy at any age, it's especially important to be proactive and perpetuate good health than to assume good fortune will continue without your assistance."
RELATED: 2 Alternatives That Are Just As Beneficial as Walking 10,000 Steps
If you aren't exercising regularly already, you need to get on a serious routine. "Maintenance goes up as you get older, it never goes down," says Jason Kozma, Certified fitness trainer, Mr. America, who recommends a fitness routine that takes up at least an hour 6 days a week. He suggests a combination of cardio and weightlifting, and even yoga "for flexibility, help with minor back pain, and relaxation," he says. " If you are starting yoga and you're over 50, stick with gentle yoga and not hot yoga or power yoga. You can advance to that later."
