Here is a list of longevity “to-dos” that will have you feeling better and living longer. Embark on one or two per month with the aim of remaining consistent and progressing as your health and wellness improve.
This doesn’t mean that older adults here should give up on finding purpose for themselves. To find purpose in your life:
Engage in daily practices. This may involve walking, yoga, meditation, or other practices in which you can progress and improve. Be creative. Arts, crafts, music, and writing are artistic ways of being creative, but there are other ways to feel creative. It may be taking up cooking a new cuisine, taking a stab at indoor gardening, or finding hobbies that you never had time for before in the past. Join clubs. Even if you are relatively self-sufficient, joining a club puts you in touch with people of similar interests with whom you can build friendships and embark on special projects you would never dream of doing yourself. Play. Play is not reserved for young people. Whether it be active sports or board games, scheduling playtime provides you something to look forward to on a weekly or monthly basis. Volunteer. People can contribute no matter how old they are. It may be offering time to the local library to read to children or pitching in at the local food bank on a regular basis. Volunteering allows you to give back and contribute to society in a substantive way.
The challenge is that health conditions, medications, and poor sleep habits can make it difficult for older adults to get the rest they need.
It is important to take time in your 70s to make your sleep habits a priority. There are several key ways to improve your sleep hygiene:
Maintain a regular sleep routine. Avoid daytime naps. Don’t stay in bed awake for more than five to 10 minutes. Don’t watch TV, use the computer, or read in bed. Drink caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea, and colas with caution. Have a quiet, comfortable, and dark bedroom.
The problem is bigger than some people think, with over 700,000 people hospitalized in the United States each year as a result of a fall.
Among some of the things you can do to prevent falls:
Take time to assess the potential fall risks in your house. Make a habit of using handrails, installing them where needed (such as in the bathtub). Be sure that all your stairs are well lit, installing lights if needed. Don’t avoid using mobility devices, even at home. Practice balance exercises, ideally under the supervision of an instructor or physical therapist, to prevent falls from stumbles or missteps. Avoid any risky behaviors that can lead to falls, such as drinking or mixing your medications with alcohol.
When done appropriately, exercise training in older people is associated with a reduction in blood pressure and cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and stroke. Moreover, researchers have found that people who expended the most energy during daily activities are 32% less likely to die over a six-year period.
Despite these benefits, exercise levels among older adults remain low, teetering well below the recommended 150 minutes per week.
Your body is built to be active; be sure that it gets moving every day. Going for walks, joining group exercise classes, and engaging in other routine activities can keep you healthy, energized, and help you sleep better.
It also helps to find a physical therapist or personal trainer experienced with older adults to create a program appropriate to your age and health status.
Studies have shown that older adults who play bridge or chess score higher on working memory and reasoning measures, while those who do crossword puzzles are better able to maintain cognition than those who watch TV.
Be sure that you find things that interest you, that make you curious, and that challenge your brain. You can start with puzzles like crosswords or Sudoku and then move to more challenging things, like learning a new language, playing chess, or reading about a science topic.
Once something becomes routine and the sense of discovery wears off, you should move to something new.
According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), people over the age of 50 should consume between 1.5 to 2 cups of fruits and 2.5 to 3 cups of vegetables each day. The guidelines place an emphasis on consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Sex in your 70s may be different than in your youth but can be no less rewarding. With that said, according to a 2019 study in Sexual Medicine, the rewards can be different in men and women:
Among sexually active older men, frequent (more than twice monthly) sexual intercourse along with frequent kissing, petting, or fondling were associated with greater enjoyment of life measures. Among sexually active older women, frequent kissing, petting, or fondling was associated with greater enjoyment of life. Frequent intercourse, by contrast, had little impact on this measure.
Don’t just take your medications; know their names, what they are for, and how to take them properly. Keep your regularly scheduled healthcare provider’s appointments, knowing which lab tests need to be done (and when).
When in doubt, ask questions. It is sometimes a good idea to bring a friend or family member with you if you are unclear about what the healthcare provider is telling you. The more you know, the more informed your choices will be.
doi:10.3928/02793695-20100331-03
