What Does Healthy Aging Look Like?

I am always grateful for the opportunity to age and try to not take my good health for granted.

September is Healthy Aging Month and it’s a good reminder to take a step back and think about how our everyday behaviors and choices play a role in our overall health.

To me, healthy aging means aging with intention. The food we choose to eat, how we move, the quality of our sleep, how we stay connected are mostly carried out each day with an end goal…to live a long, healthy, independent life.

Does this mean that we always get it right? Absolutely not! We are human, after all. But being mindful of the daily choices we make, with longevity as the end game, is a great strategy to keep us on the right path, most of the time.

As women, there are specific actions that will make a big impact on our health:

• Nutrition. As we age, it’s important to ramp up our protein and fiber intake. It’s also important to get a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, legumes, healthy fats. I have long subscribed to the “food is medicine” ideology.

• Movement. The way we move is really important as we age. Think strong, not skinny. Strength training is crucial to building muscle mass and bone density. And as we enter menopause, we lose muscle mass at an alarming rate.

• Sleep. We need it, gotta make it a priority. Adopting some good sleep hygiene habits will do wonders for our sleep quality.

• Connection. We are social beings and we are less stressed, happier and healthier when we connect with others. Grab a friend and walk, join a book club or throw a dinner party. It’s especially important to stay connected as we age.

  Stress. We live in a stressful world where it is increasingly more difficult to slow down, but our nervous systems will thank us for finding ways to manage and reduce our stress load. Meditate, yoga and exercise are all great ways to keep our stress in balance.

Throughout the month of September, let’s try to make healthy choices with intention. Our bodies will thank us. And our bodies twenty years from now will thank us.

Now go grab a friend and go for a walk. And throw on a weighted vest while you’re at it!