“Happy birthday. Age gracefully” is a popular greeting people bestow on others celebrating their 40th birthday and up. A friend once told me that she dislikes this greeting because it sounds like an admonishment. To her, it sounded more like, “Now that you are aging, do everything you can to ensure that it does not show.” And I can understand her point of view because the term seems vague. So, what does it mean to age gracefully? And how do you know if you are aging gracefully or not? First, let’s understand what aging is.
What is aging?
Aging is a natural and continuous process that reduces the body’s ability to regenerate or reproduce healthy cells over time. The fact is that if you live long enough, you will experience aging. Aging is progressive and continues to the end of life. Interestingly, aging starts at conception. However, because we are still growing early in life, it overshadows aging. It’s not until around 25 that we begin to see the visible signs of aging. It’s an interesting paradox that although we all want to live longer, we don’t want to age.
What causes aging?
No one understands what causes aging precisely and why we all age differently. However, some believe our genetics play a very important role in how we age. Secondly, a major cause of aging is the accumulation of a lot of damage in our cells as we age. Thirdly, other factors contribute to aging, such as our diet, exercise, and lifestyle practices.
What are some common changes with aging?
What are the first signs of aging that people notice? Unarguably, the skin is where most people first see the telltale signs of aging. Our skin becomes thinner, drier, and less elastic as we age. We also lose fat underneath our skin. And we start to notice some wrinkles and crow’s feet. So, it’s no wonder the beauty and cosmetic industry is a multibillion-dollar industry.
Although the skin is what we focus on, aging happens in every cell and organ of our body. For example, our blood pressure increases, our bones become weaker, our eyesight worsens, our metabolism decreases, and we gain weight.
What is aging gracefully?
Simply put, aging gracefully means proactively taking steps to combat the adverse effects of aging so that we can stay healthy and live well for as long as possible.
Unfortunately, we cannot change our genes. We also cannot entirely prevent damage to our cells as we age. However, by making some lifestyle changes, we can reduce our risk for diseases and conditions associated with aging.
In summary, to age gracefully, we should work to maintain our physical and mental health, avoid diseases, and remain active and independent.
What can we do to age gracefully?
Aging gracefully and maintaining our physical and mental health often require extra steps. Unfortunately, health is not automatic, and we need to take action to stay healthy and age gracefully.
Here are some steps we can take to age gracefully:
1. Eat healthy
Include whole grains, vegetables, and fruits in your diet. And reduce your saturated fat, salt, and sugar intake.
2. Maintain a healthy body weight
Excess body weight increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and certain cancers.
3. Engage in physical activity
Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise five times a week.
4. Engage in mental activities to ward off memory loss
Learn new things, challenge yourself, and be creative. For more on improving your brain health, check out “Use it or lose it – How to prevent your brain from getting old.”
5. Build your network
Invest in building strong social connections with your family and friends. Strong social relationships keep your brain mentally sharp and can help you live longer. To learn more about why quality friendships improve your health, check out “Thank You for Being a Friend.”
6. Avoid smoking
Smoking can lead to heart disease, stroke, and many cancers, especially as we age. For more on how to protect yourself from heart disease, check out “Guard Your Heart” and “The Number One Killer of Women.”
7. See your doctor regularly
Regular check-ups and screenings can help prevent and detect diseases early.
8. Limit your alcohol intake
A simple rule about alcohol intake – the less you drink, the better.
9. Stay hydrated
A very recent study showed that poor hydration may accelerate aging and increase the risk of chronic disease and death.
10. Sleep well
Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep daily. Studies show that inadequate sleep may speed up the process of aging.
11. Accept the aging process
Aging is inevitable. Even if you took care of one sign of aging today, another one will pop up tomorrow. Therefore, aging must be a matter of acceptance rather than denial.
12. Laugh it off
Develop your sense of humor and prepare to laugh off the signs of aging that you can do nothing about.
13. Find a hobby
Look for something you love and start doing it. Ultimately, engaging in a hobby will improve your physical and mental health and reduce your focus on aging.
14. Reduce stress
Stress makes us age faster. Unfortunately, stress is inevitable in our everyday lives. Therefore, we must do everything possible to manage our stress, such as practicing gratitude, self-care, and meditation.
The benefits of aging
Are there any positives to aging? Having said all of the above, it may seem that aging is a negative thing we want to avoid at all costs, even though that is impossible!
However, there are some benefits to aging. First, as we age, our social health improves as we desire and work to maintain meaningful connections with others. Secondly, we are happier as we grow in our self-confidence and acceptance of ourselves and others. Thirdly, we are smarter and can make better decisions because of all the life experiences we have accumulated over the years. Finally, and most importantly, we are more grateful for our families, friends, and our overall health. Overall, we are thankful and glad to be alive!
Final thoughts
Do you get scared or upset when you notice new gray hair, new wrinkles, progressive weight gain, especially in the belly, body aches, and many other signs of aging?
In one study of 2,000 people commissioned by Pfizer, 87 percent had at least one fear of aging. Most of the participants feared a decline in physical ability or developing a chronic illness. Another study showed that people feared losing their loved ones and being lonely in old age. In fact, there are a multitude of aging-related fears.
The fear of aging is real, and it is comforting to know that most people struggle with aging. If you are experiencing any aging-related illness and fears today, I would like to encourage you with this Bible verse:
I will be your God throughout your lifetime— until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you (Isaiah 46:4, NLT).
Therefore, instead of worrying about whether we are aging gracefully or not, let’s do the best we can and leave the rest to God, believing that all things are working together for good for our good, now and till the end of time!
Please feel free to comment below and share this article with others.
Yours in health and fitness,
Doctor Abi
