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<\/p>\nWhen it comes to getting older, there are many factors that help you live a fulfilled, healthy life \u2014 ones that go beyond working out and eating your vegetables (although that\u2019s part of it, too).<\/p>\n
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MoMo Productions via Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cAging well, in my opinion, consists of three different components,\u201d said Dr. Parul Goyal<\/a>, a geriatrician at Vanderbilt Health in Nashville. These categories are physical health, emotional connection and mental support, Goyal said.<\/p>\n These elements come together to help you live a life that\u2019s rewarding, lively and healthful. Doctors say there are lots of behaviors that contribute to your physical, emotional and mental health as you grow older, and some clear signs that you\u2019re taking care of yourself in these ways.<\/p>\n Below, geriatricians share the indicators that someone is aging well, along with a little advice if you feel like you\u2019re not hitting the mark.<\/p>\n You take time to learn new things.<\/p>\n Dejan Marjanovic \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n The older we get, the fewer chances we have to absorb new information; many of us are far out of school or work. The opportunities to learn are limited if those opportunities aren\u2019t sought out.<\/p>\n \u201cWe also look at their cognitive health in this … making sure that they are staying mentally strong, they are using their mind, they are engaging in exercises to stimulate their mind, which means they are learning like a new skill,\u201d Goyal said.<\/p>\n She encourages her patients to learn something new, whether it\u2019s a new game, exercise, language or musical instrument.<\/p>\n \u201cThat will help form new pathways in the brain so that they can continue to stay cognitively strong,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n You\u2019re honest about your needs.<\/p>\n Pocketlight \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cSo often, people don\u2019t age well because they\u2019re not upfront about what their needs are,\u201d said\u00a0Robyn Golden<\/a>, the associate vice president of social work and community health at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. \u201cHow do we make it OK for people to say, \u2018This is what I need, I\u2019m feeling lonely, I need someone to go out with on a Tuesday night.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Rampant ageism makes it easy for people to feel like a burden or invisible, Golden said, which can encourage silent suffering. But it\u2019s important to push against that and let folks know when you\u2019re having a tough time. So if you\u2019re someone who can share your thoughts and needs with your family and friends, that\u2019s a good sign.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, if you\u2019re struggling with depression and anxiety, it\u2019s important to let your doctor know. There\u2019s often a false belief that anxiety or depression after a certain age is more \u201cnormal,\u201d but Golden said this is not true.<\/p>\n \u201cDepression can be treated at any age, and not just with medication, with counseling, with group interventions, you name it. So, I think that\u2019s part of how you age well, being open to being able to say, \u2018This is who I am, this is what I need,\u2019\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n You have a community.<\/p>\n Vladimir Vladimirov \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n Loneliness and isolation are a big problem, so much so that the surgeon general of the United States\u00a0declared an epidemic<\/a> of isolation and loneliness throughout the country.<\/p>\n \u201cAs you know, with the COVID pandemic<\/a>, this has become really important. There was a lot of social isolation among our geriatric patients because they were confined to their homes,\u201d Goyal said.<\/p>\n To combat feelings of loneliness and isolation, it\u2019s important to bolster your social connections, whether that\u2019s with friends, family, your church group or your community, she said.<\/p>\n Related: “I Had To Be Held Down By Two Nurses”: Women Are Sharing Their Absolute Worst Experience In A Doctor’s Office<\/a><\/p>\n There isn\u2019t one right way to connect with your community, either. Golden said this could look like anything from volunteering at a local food bank to helping a neighborhood child learn to read.<\/p>\n Alvarog1970 \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n Socializing can help your brain health, too, said Dr. Lee Lindquist<\/a>, the chief of geriatrics at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.<\/p>\n \u201cWe think of the brain as a muscle, so if you sit in a room with four walls all day and not talk to anybody, you\u2019re almost living in a nursing home … your brain is going to go to sludge because it\u2019s not getting any stimulation,\u201d Lindquist said.<\/p>\n Socializing, whether that\u2019s talking to people in person or on the phone, interacting with folks on Zoom or joining a book club, is a way to exercise your brain and make it stronger, said Lindquist.<\/p>\n You prioritize your physical health.<\/p>\n Milan Markovic \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n Eating nutritious foods and exercising are important all throughout your life, including when you reach an older age.<\/p>\n Goyal said she talks with her patients about eating a healthy diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, and one that aligns with a combination of a Mediterranean diet and a\u00a0DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet<\/a>. According to Goyal, the DASH diet is \u201ca low sodium diet that is recommended for people that have high blood pressure.\u201d The Mediterranean diet<\/a> is a well-studied meal plan that is full of whole grains, healthy fats, lean meat and plant-based foods.<\/p>\n Drinking enough water is also part of this,\u00a0Goyal said. And, beyond what you eat and drink, it\u2019s important to keep yourself physically fit, too.<\/p>\n \u201cI want people to keep moving, exercising. If you haven\u2019t moved in a long time, or you\u2019ve been sitting down for a long time, it\u2019s sometimes useful to ask your doctors for a physical therapy order to help you with your gait and balance,\u201d said Lindquist.<\/p>\n Related: People Are Sharing The Wildest Medical Self-Diagnoses That Actually Turned Out To Be Correct<\/a><\/p>\n She noted that many of us may be afraid to move around as we get older because of a fear of falling, but exercising \u2014 whether you\u2019re walking or joining a tai chi class \u2014 can help with your fall risk.<\/p>\n Tanapon Kongbunrak \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cBecause what happens is if we choose not to walk or choose not to move, then it puts you at a higher risk for falling. So it\u2019s almost like a catch-22,\u201d added Lindquist.<\/p>\n When exercising, Goyal said it\u2019s also important to work on your muscle strength, since muscle mass is lost as you age. Lifting weights, pilates, yoga and tai chi can all be a part of a good muscle-building exercise routine, Goyal said. Additionally, cardio fitness \u2014 like walking, biking, swimming and running \u2014 are important for your heart health.<\/p>\n You do things you enjoy.<\/p>\n FG Trade \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cI love people who are doing activities and enjoying life, and doing it in a way that brings them enjoyment,\u201d Lindquist said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not realistic to think that you\u2019ll never deal with an illness or an injury, but that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t do the things you love to do, whether that\u2019s traveling, learning new recipes or playing games with your family.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom my end, people get chronic illnesses throughout their life, but it\u2019s all about managing their care and doing the best they can,\u201d Lindquist added.<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re doing things you enjoy, you likely won\u2019t find yourself bored, and boredom can be a red flag as you age, Golden explained. \u201cFeeling like the day is very, very long is not a good sign.\u201d<\/p>\n Hobbies, volunteer work and spending time with loved ones are all good ways to combat boredom.<\/p>\n You talk to your doctor about the medications you take.<\/p>\n Drazen Zigic \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n Just because you were prescribed one medication in your 50s doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s still serving you 20, 30 or 40 years later.<\/p>\n \u201cMany times, we end up taking too many medicines for what we actually need,\u201d Lindquist said. \u201cYour body is always changing, it may not need [certain] meds.\u201d<\/p>\n She said it\u2019s important to talk to your doctor about de-prescribing any unnecessary medications. For example, if you were prescribed medication for stress when you were working in your 50s, you may not need it after you retire.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so it may be that they don\u2019t need these medicines, or that these medicines might actually be bad for them as they get older. So, it\u2019s imperative that you talk to your physician [or] a geriatrician … specifically looking at what drugs are unnecessary or can be dangerous as you get older,\u201d Lindquist noted.<\/p>\n You plan for the future.<\/p>\n Travelism \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cThe other thing I always tell people is to plan ahead because as much as we all want to age well into our hundreds, healthy and happily, there is a very good chance that something might happen that you need to be hospitalized, or that you might need more support in your home,\u201d Lindquist said.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to talk to your family and friends about what you want to happen if you are hospitalized, if you fall or if you experience memory loss. This way, your loved ones will be prepared if any unplanned, stressful situations occur.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not planning for end of life, which is like hospice, or [planning] you\u2019re going to die in six months \u2015 this is planning for the 20 years before you need help,\u201d Lindquist explained. This is a way to ensure your voice is heard as you get older, and that those around you don\u2019t make decisions for you.<\/p>\n This could look like having a conversation with your kids about what kind of support you want if you get to a point where you can\u2019t care for yourself. Or it could look like talking with your partner about downsizing to a one-story house that won\u2019t require frequent stair use.<\/p>\n Lindquist said it\u2019s good to start this kind of planning when you retire, but it\u2019s also important to know that these plans may change as your life progresses, and that is OK. As plans change, it\u2019s crucial that you keep the conversation going and inform your loved ones.<\/p>\n If you need future-planning advice or tips on how to talk to loved ones about these potentially stressful conversations, Lindquist and her colleagues created Plan Your Lifespan<\/a>, a free future-planning resource for older adults that\u2019s backed by research, studies and funding from the National Institutes of Health.<\/p>\n Frazao Studio Latino \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n If you haven\u2019t done any of these things yet \u2014 or you haven\u2019t prioritized them like you should \u2014 don\u2019t panic. Now is always a good time to begin; the sooner you start focusing on these things the better. And even if you still think you have time, Goyal stressed that you still should make these behaviors a priority.<\/p>\n \u201cThe important thing I want to really communicate with this topic is that oftentimes people will ask me this question: \u2018How do I age well?\u2019 when they\u2019re well in their 60s or their 70s,\u201d Goyal said. \u201cI really want people to start thinking about aging well from the time they\u2019re in their 30s and their 40s.\u201d<\/p>\n If you start focusing on healthy habits earlier in your life, you can carry them along into your golden years, Goyal said. Additionally, as you age, don\u2019t focus so much on the number. That has nothing to do with aging well.<\/p>\n Skynesher \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cChronological age doesn\u2019t mean a whole lot \u2014 so, 65, 75, 85, it\u2019s how you\u2019re feeling that makes that difference, not that number,\u201d Golden said.<\/p>\n If you prioritize your relationships, your physical health, your mental health and your future plans, you\u2019ll be set up to feel good no matter what year you were born.This article originally appeared on\u00a0HuffPost<\/a>.<\/p>\n Also in Goodful: “It\u2019s Soul-Crushing”: People Are Revealing The TellTale Signs Someone Has Been Through A Lot Of Shit In Their Life, And Some Of These Might Surprise You<\/a><\/p>\n Also in Goodful: 21 “Fatal” Safety Mistakes People Make Every Day (And How To Avoid Them), According To First Responders<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Older](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/5655f6aaafaf967fa761d8a152ea5c8c.jpeg\"\/)
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