As we age, the demands of life change and in turn, what we ask of our bodies begins to change with it. We need to make sure that the plans we have set to take care of our health adequately address these new demands. To do this, the focus is not solely on fitness but most importantly reducing the stress that we’ve placed on our bodies over the years. Now is the time to relax, enjoy, and work on maintaining your health, your independence, and your body for your long-term benefit.
Here are three important things that should be at the top of your checklist when it comes to taking charge of your health and living a proactive life:
Stay connected to your body
You have heard it before, move it or lose it. But how does this really show itself when it comes to your lifestyle? When you stop moving muscles, you stop pumping blood properly around the body and this leads to a decrease in immune system efficiency. The waste from your blood stays in your body longer, resulting in decreased muscle mass and ability to properly communicate with your body (a large factor that increases the your chances of falling and causing injury). So staying active is important, but be careful – the more you move isn’t always better for you. If you do exercises that aren’t right for you, you risk worsening pre-existing injuries or causing new ones. That’s why, as you get older it’s best to find exercises that work best for you. A combination of stretching, exercise and therapy is the best way to take care of your health but nothing is more important than having a lifestyle mentor to help you pick the right combination and progression of activities found in these three categories. To start, some ideal activities would be restorative yoga, ELDOA, pilates swimming, meditation, mindfulness, massage, craniosacral therapy, myofascial therapy, and so on. Your body is the most important thing you have, so making sure you stay connected with what it’s trying to tell you is the most fundamental skill you need to have.
Aging doesn’t mean you’re old
That’s right! Getting old is different than aging; you can age with grace, strength and health but it takes work. You start getting old when your health takes a backseat in your life. If you’re not connected to your body or work on maintaining it, the older you start to look and feel. Your current lifestyle greatly impacts your body which is the largest influencer of your health, which is why living proactively instead of reactively is so important. I can tell you with confidence, aging gracefully starts with maintaining your health and making it a priority.
Investing in your health is your new job
Remember how invincible you felt in your 20s? How hard you worked to achieve your goals in your 40s? Or remember all the wisdom you acquired from life experiences when you reached your 50s? Well, it’s time to stop reminiscing and start putting your energy towards living the quality of life you deserve now in your golden years. To do so, you will need guidance that you have never had before and to think about health in away that you have never thought before. Apart from the traditional healthcare route, look into alternative healthcare services that can not only address your current healthcare needs but also give you the tools you need to live out a more proactive life. The Healing Art of Exercise from Design Fitness is a great way to do just that. It takes a look at the demands that life has placed on your body and navigates the worlds of traditional and modern healthcare to find the best avenue to support, restore, maintain and even increase your health and activity level.
