Aging Gracefully – Caring for Yourself

Do you know what physical changes happen as you age?

What can you do to slow down the normal aging process and prevent chronic illnesses? How do you care for yourself?

As we age, the body and all of its processes slow down. Our bones become more brittle, our skin thins and loses elasticity, our immune system becomes less efficient at fighting illnesses, and we lose muscle mass. Sounds like fun, huh?

And we each age at differing rates. Some of this is due to genetics, but the largest factor is something we control: lifestyle choices.*

Let me share a few facts on how nutrition and regular exercise impact us as we age:

• Strength Training: A 12-month study conducted at Tufts University on postmenopausal women demonstrated 1% gains in hip and spine bone density, 75% increases in strength and 13% increases in dynamic balance with just two days per week of progressive strength training. Strength training programs also reduce the risk for falls, meaning fewer fractures.
• Healthy Eating: Experts estimate that eating a heart-healthy diet can reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke by 80%. Great news since heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. (Source: Helpguide.org)
• Cardiovascular Exercise: According to the American Heart Association, lack of physical exercise causes as many as 250,000 deaths per year in the United States. Many studies, involving large groups of people, have demonstrated that regular exercise also has a protective effect against many other diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, and colon cancer.

Source:
*Medline Plus, The Aging Process.