The younger you are, the closer you are to being naturally in good health. Conversely, the older you are, the more likely you are to have or start having health issues. But what if you are in between the two: not broken down but more mature and feeling like you are living on borrowed time each day you spend without a new pain? Use this margin as a wake-up call to craft and keep a better you for many years in your body, especially to take better care of it if you have taken it for granted. If you are in the best shape of your life, then keep up the good work, but this article is probably not for you; please feel free to share it with your less fit and less healthy friends. If, however, you have been pushing the limits of staying in good health and have a suspicion that something serious is up with your physical or behavioral health, take this as your sign to take charge with five actions to make sure you don’t outlive your body before your life runs out.
Get an annual checkup
Some schedule an annual checkup in January so they can take care of themselves, as people are making many New Year’s resolutions, often related to better health. They want to know where they stand health-wise. Others choose a fixed date like their birthday or the anniversary of the passing of a loved one who lived well or neglected their own health and passed away too soon. The date doesn’t matter; the intention and action do.
Hope for a boring report from your healthcare provider telling you that everything checks out and you are healthy after the physical exam and any tests. It’s good to know that everything’s okay, or satisfactory, with an encouragement to get other more specific tests and exams like cholesterol, blood pressure, eye exams, dental cleanings, mammograms, pelvic exams, pap smears, colonoscopies, and age-appropriate vaccinations. It’s also good to hear that with a little prevention and protection, you can connect the dots between the results to mean you are in good health and to know that you can check all the boxes of preventive care and adult responsibility. Needing to lose some weight or get more physically active is not great, but be glad that you can still do something about your health and impact your results if you find yourself in this situation.
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Regular checkups increase the likelihood of hearing that your healthcare providers found and caught a health problem early or in time. It’s worse if you neglect your health and your body, or wait until your body sends you pain as a signal. Without routine checkups, your expectation to function well and indefinitely can suddenly be in jeopardy with a chronic condition that can only be managed, not cured. Boring is better.
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Eat well
The messages of experts in the know, like doctors, nutritionists/dieticians, and other healthcare professionals and influencers, can be confusing, seeming to change from year to year with superfoods and fad diets. You’ve also heard that living well is the best revenge. So, what’s an easy way to level up and keep living well? By eating well, you can make sure that you live well. This includes avoiding excess sodium, saturated fat, and various natural and artificial sweeteners in processed foods. The basics haven’t changed. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, at least five a day. Make produce the star of half of your plate, not meat. Add beans and legumes to your meals. Snack on nuts and seeds. Decide on how you will get the vitamins and nutrients that dairy gives you if you are lactose intolerant or vegan. If you eat meat, choose lean meats. Read nutrition labels to select whole grains. Eat dessert, fried foods, and drink alcohol in moderation.
Get some form of exercise you enjoy
Recess, walking, running, riding bikes and playing outside were an easy part of life as a kid growing up. We didn’t need special permission to get daily movement as a part of our day. Going outside to play was part of our lifestyle. It was easy because we were getting exercise by having fun at the same time. We were getting movement and steps in without a watch, pedometer or app on a fancy mobile phone. Throw in Little League sports, dance lessons, a pickup game of hide-and-seek or dodgeball, and we were exceeding any daily movement expectations.
Try as we might, we cannot turn back the fitness and activity time clock. If we consider it completely, however, we wouldn’t want to. As adults, we have different, more mature interests and friends, and access to increased resources, and have more responsibilities. If the gym is not your thing, find some exercise that you do enjoy and, as Nike says, JUST DO IT. Running, basketball, walking with friends through the park, neighborhood, or around a track are fun and relieve stress. Blasting the music at home and speed cleaning house while multitasking laundry loads and a “semi-homemade dinner” in the slow cooker all count, with the lattermost winning you the title of Domestic Goddess.
It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated, either. Parking far away at the grocery store or mall, then putting your purchases away by lifting, reaching, bending, and crouching, counts by adding steps with the increased parked distance from your destination and the movement you may not get every day. Think about what you enjoy and would do at least 30 minutes a day, in one shot or ten-minute increments, and you will find yourself on a fitness journey that will endure as a healthy habit because you enjoy it and it’s doable for you as a part of your daily routine.
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Develop a strong social system
There are many things you can do alone and be content in your own company. Sometimes, though, it’s nice to be able to share life’s experiences like the highs and lows, the fun and the not-so-fun times, with someone else. Or, you may even want to have the experience alone and then talk with a friend about what it was like. From listening to or talking about it, even if it’s not every day, a strong social system goes a long way.
No one was meant to shoulder all of life’s burdens alone. Life becomes much richer when you find your people who support you, connect with, and feel understood by, or discover your person with whom you engage in more than casual interactions as partners, sharing life together. No matter what, make the time to build and develop a strong(er) social system this year and give support that’s as good as what you get from others.
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Connect to your higher power
Lastly, if you are a believer, connecting to your higher power can see you through the tough times and anchor you despite the rough waves we encounter. Whether things are going well or poorly, regular meditation, spiritual reading, or prayer in any of its many forms can be paired with a gratitude practice. It might also find you in a space, religious or not, to volunteer for a cause you believe in and donate your time, talent, and treasure. When connecting with your higher power, you may feel refreshed, recharged, and with a renewed sense of purpose. Time spent this way strengthens you to be better able to access what your soul and spirit need to thrive and grow from the inside out.
