The life expectancy for women in the US is 81.4 years—meaning that there’s a good chance of us celebrating our 80th birthdays. We don’t know about you, but we intend to fully enjoy our birthday party at 80, without bladder leaks.
Here are some simple habits you can adopt today for a healthier tomorrow.
1. Try And Avoid Stress Or Manage It Well
You probably know that stress can make you look and feel older, but it can also lower your life expectancy. This is because stress can trigger a lot of health diseases that’ll last a lifetime, including medical conditions like heart diseases, diabetes, depression, and so on.
In general, you should try and avoid stress when you can. But sometimes, stressful situations are unavoidable, in which case you should find ways to manage stress through yoga or other stress relieving methods. Identifying what triggers stress and avoiding the triggers can also help.
2. Make A Habit Of Staying Hydrated
Drinking water is one of the most common self-care tips you’ll hear, with good reason. An adequate intake of water every day can help you in several ways. For starters, it’ll give you the energy boost you need to get through the day. It also helps regulate the body’s temperature, prevent infections, and keep the joints well-lubricated.
Moreover, having about 6-8 glasses of water a day will help keep your skin well-hydrated and boost your metabolism—which is really helpful if you’re trying to maintain your weight. If you want to feel a bit perkier, a glass of water is a great idea.
3. Start Doing Yoga And Practice Mindfulness
There’s no perfect age to start yoga, but you’ll feel yourself aging backward the second you start.
Yoga isn’t just a workout for the body but also for the mind and even your soul. In fact, it’s a way to unify your mind, body, and soul while being aware of each fragment of the individual elements.
Besides helping you reconnect with yourself, yoga has some other excellent benefits that you can experience beyond the yoga mat. For starters, it’ll keep you more focused and improve your memory which will be useful as you approach the big 8-0. It will also help lower stress and increase immune functioning.
4. Make Healthy Food Choices
We keep hearing the phrase “you are what you eat,” and we can’t help thinking that we don’t want to be a hamburger. But then again, is being an avocado any better?
Jokes aside, what you eat matters as you age. And while the occasional pizza slice or doughnut doesn’t matter, you need to ensure that your eating habits are geared toward health and fitness.
This means incorporating lots of fruits and vegetables into your diet. Lentils, beans, nuts, and specific whole grains are also essential. Also, limiting red meat and eating lots of fish is a great idea.
5. Exercise Regularly
Contrary to popular opinion, working out isn’t about how you look but about how you feel. No matter what your age or weight, regular exercise is crucial. It isn’t about gaining or losing weight but staying fit and keeping yourself active.
If regular exercise is challenging, it may help to have a trainer who’s aware of your overall health and can create workout routines that ensure you’re not exerting yourself but getting enough exercise.
6. Take Mental Health Seriously
Staying youthful beyond your forties is more about how you feel than about how you look. Mental health is a huge part of staying youthful as you age, and if you’re mentally exhausted, it will show.
As you age, there will be several factors that may affect your mental health. This could be the idea of aging itself or the challenges that come with age, such as health concerns. Talking about them and seeking help is what will eventually help you get through them.
7. Avoid Smoking And Drinking
Drinking alcohol and smoking are two habits that are closely linked to several diseases and premature aging. An occasional glass of wine won’t hurt, but regularly smoking and drinking can take years off your life.
Quit smoking and enjoy an occasional glass or two on special days. Limiting yourself may feel difficult at first, but you’ll get used to it and thank yourself as you enjoy the champagne on your 80th birthday!
8. Sleep Well But Stick To A Routine
Sleeping well is a form of self-care, and we definitely support it, but sleeping all day is never a good idea. Try and get some quality sleep, at least for 8 hours every night, and avoid long naps during the day.
Also, try and create a routine for yourself and stick to it as much as possible. This means sleeping, waking up, eating, and working out on time.
9. Do Everything You Love
The secret to staying youthful is staying happy, and as you age, it’s important to do the things you love.
Whether it’s traveling, photography, gardening, hiking, biking, or simply telling jokes—always find time to live for yourself. Tick off the items on that bucket list in true YOLO fashion.
10. Take Good Care Of Your Health
Staying youthful beyond the forties isn’t all rainbows and butterflies—there will be hurdles. But staying youthful is about taking everything in stride.
As you age, you are likely to see health issues, grey hair, wrinkles, and hopefully menopause. The idea is to stay prepared.
If you’re wondering what it takes, you need Dr. Shelia Whiteman’s health coaching. She’s a holistic coach and a Doctor of Physical Therapy with years of experience and expertise, especially regarding bladder issues in women.
Whether you want solutions for a leaky bladder or just guidance on living a fuller and healthier life, Dr. Shelia at The Pelvic Coach can help.
Get in touch with us for more information and a free consultation. You can also register for an informative and free presentation on urinary incontinence today!
