Getting old never looked so good.<\/p>\n
While tech entrepreneurs<\/a> and biohackers<\/a> race to rewrite the rules of longevity, there are everyday telltale signs you\u2019re aging well without a health tracker or blood tests.<\/p>\n Rather than simply avoiding disease, getting older well involves a more holistic view of physical, mental and emotional health, according to Dr. Tina Sadarangani<\/a>, PhD, a board-certified adult and geriatric nurse practitioner.<\/p>\n Two geriatrics specialists revealed five signs that you\u2019re aging well \u2014 including whether you\u2019re maintaining your strength and endurance, which can make a huge difference in holding onto your independence. Kay Abrahams\/peopleimages.com \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n \u201cAging well in your 40s and 50s doesn\u2019t just mean looking younger,\u201d Sadarangani told The Post. \u201cIt also means feeling and functioning at your best.\u201d<\/p>\n And on the flip side, there are warning signs that things may be heading south once you approach the mid-century mark.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 40s and 50s represent a critical window when many age-related changes first become apparent or accelerate,\u201d Emmanuel Osei-Boamah<\/a>, a board-certified geriatrician and physician with Mercy Family Care in Baltimore, told The Post.<\/p>\n 1. Maintaining strength<\/p>\n Maintaining your strength and endurance makes a big difference as you get older.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone who can climb stairs, carry groceries, get up from the floor and stay active is more likely to remain independent as they age,\u201d Sadarangani said.<\/p>\n Osei-Boamah agrees, adding that aging well \u201cis characterized by the preservation of functional independence.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that walking speed<\/a>, balance, handgrip strength and how fast you can stand up are also good indicators of good aging.<\/p>\n Conversely, becoming weaker is a sign that one may not be aging as well. Signs of weakened strength can include reduced grip strength, difficulty with tasks requiring balance or coordination and signs of osteoarthritis like new joint stiffness or pain.<\/p>\n Staying social and sleeping well are also good signs. Monkey Business \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n 2. Staying socially connected<\/p>\n Research has determined loneliness<\/a> to be a public health threat along the likes of obesity and smoking \u2014 and the health risks are well-documented, especially for older adults<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople who maintain close relationships, participate in their communities and have a sense of purpose tend to experience better physical and cognitive health in the long-term,\u201d Sadarangani said.<\/p>\n We should also continue to try new things with each passing year, since those who learn new skills or take up new hobbies are \u201cbuilding cognitive reserve by challenging their brains.\u201d<\/p>\n Social connections and activities can also help people pay attention to any changes in mood. Sadarangani notes that persistent sadness, anxiety or loss of interest shouldn\u2019t be taken as normal signs of aging.<\/p>\n \u201cDepression and anxiety become more common during this stage of life and deserve the same attention as high blood pressure or diabetes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n 3. Recovering from setbacks<\/p>\n Can you recover from sickness, surgery and emotional changes? Getting older causes a decline in the ability to maintain internal stability or homeostasis \u2014 so if you\u2019re not struggling too much here, you\u2019re on the right track.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople who are aging well recover well after \u2026 a stressful life event and return to their previous level of function,\u201d Sadarangani said. \u201cThis is often a better indicator of health than chronological age.\u201d<\/p>\n The experts say that staying on top of your health, including doctor\u2019s appointments, is key. Prostock-studio \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n 4. Being proactive about health<\/p>\n Your 40s and 50s bring on a slew of internal changes, according to Osei-Boamah, including higher blood pressure, increased risk of irregular heartbeat, hormonal changes, cognitive decline, age-related hearing loss and increased possibility of glaucoma.<\/p>\n But you\u2019re aging well if you\u2019re staying ahead of your health and going to the doctor regularly<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep up with recommended screenings; manage blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar; stay current on vaccinations; and address hearing, vision and sleep problems before they interfere with daily life,\u201d Sadarangani said.<\/p>\n And you don\u2019t want to wait until you\u2019re getting up there to get started.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to remember that your health at 40 significantly influences your health at 60, which in turn affects your health at 80, and so forth,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n 5. Sleeping well<\/p>\n A good night\u2019s rest<\/a> is fundamental to overall health, affecting everything from our brains<\/a> to our hearts to our nervous systems.<\/p>\n \u201cConsistently getting seven to nine hours of restorative sleep supports memory, mood, immune function and heart health,\u201d Sadarangani said.<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re not getting a full night or quality shut-eye, it shouldn\u2019t be accepted as a downside of getting older.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople often accept poor sleep as a normal part of aging, but chronic insomnia, untreated sleep apnea or waking up exhausted should be evaluated, not ignored,\u201d Sadarangani added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getting old never looked so good. While tech entrepreneurs and biohackers race to rewrite the rules of longevity,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":932395,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[11],"tags":[1081,14206,6335,1728,210,4270,67,132,68],"class_list":["post-932394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-aging","tag-doctors","tag-exclusive","tag-exercise","tag-health","tag-longevity","tag-united-states","tag-unitedstates","tag-us"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116913784928798119","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/932394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=932394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/932394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/932395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=932394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=932394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=932394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}