As we age, we begin to understand that it’s not just about quantity but quality. As a society, we have become adept at furthering our chronological age but less skilled at maintaining our health as we go.
What is the purpose of living into our golden years if those years are fraught with chronic disease, ailments and medication? And yet, that is exactly what we are seeing in the United States today. Our population is aging but we are becoming more dependent on medications and the medical system with each passing year.
The Basic “Shoulds”
Unless you live in a cave, you probably already know what you SHOULD be doing:
- Eat the healthiest diet possible
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Get between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each night
- Get in some physical activity each day
- Don’t smoke
- Have no more than 2 alcoholic drinks per day
- Get routine exams and screenings done
When we are younger, our bodies are more resilient. We may have been able to fudge our way through many of these with nary a problem when we were younger.
But as we age, our bodies no longer allow us to slack on health. Following these basic guidelines can help men over 50 fend off issues that become more common in older adults such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
Get Your Exercise
As we age, fitness becomes less about the way we look and more about our health. Many men over 50 are more concerned with preventing cardiovascular disease, maintaining muscle mass, keeping joints and ligaments healthy and improving flexibility and balance.
Fitness that is well-balanced and considers both strength-training and cardio is the best for us as we age. Exercises that challenge balance and strengthen core muscles is important to support the musculoskeletal system as well as vital organs that will take us into our later years. Cardio strengthens the heart and strength training strengthens the muscles. Both are important for maintaining health and longevity.
Eating a Balanced Diet
Healthy eating becomes even more crucial with each passing year. Cutting out processed foods, excess sugar and getting more lean protein and fruits and vegetables into our diets is important to maintaining health as older adults. Drinking more water is especially important as we age. Our brains get less able to trigger our need for fluids and severe dehydration can be life-threatening.
Aging bodies process proteins less efficiently and, consequently, we need more quality protein with passing years in order to maintain our strength, bone health and other essential functions. While eating adequate protein will not necessarily prevent age-related muscle loss altogether, not getting enough protein can exacerbate muscle loss.
Getting Periodic Check-Ups
Being proactive about health as we age requires that we get periodic check-ups. Depending on our individual health requirements, men over the age of 50 should be monitoring their vital signs and getting the appropriate testing for
- Blood pressure
- Lipids
- Colorectal cancer
- Vaccines
- Eye exams
- Hearing exams
- Bone density
- Vitamin D
- TSH screening
- Diabetes
- Prostate cancer screening
Although there is debate about when all these screenings should begin and how often they should be administered, the American Cancer Society suggests that doctors begin to suggest tests in the mid-40s and 50s, particularly if their patient is at risk for the disease.
Once we begin to age, it’s important that we get diagnostic testing per our doctor’s recommendations to ensure our health and well-being. If you have been scheduled for a diagnostic test, we would be glad to discuss it with you. Call Vital Imaging at (305) 596-9992.