Lifestyle Factors for Positive Ageing

Our lifestyles can have important impact on our health and well-being, and for older people it is vital to make good positive choices in the way they live.

As people pass the fifties milestone they need to avoid physical disability and give up unhealthy habits such as smoking, excessive drinking and poor dietary choices. Just as important is having a positive outlook with which to meet life's difficult challenges.

Indeed there is a strong connection between alcohol abuse and physical and mental illness, so if older people reduce alcohol consumption they are far more likely to enjoy good mental and physical health.

It's important too to engage in regular physical and mental exercise as it has been found that older people who maintain activity and interest in their lives tend to be healthier and live to a good age. The important thing is to avoid giving in to the negative stereotypes about ageing - that after 50 or 60 life is a downhill spiral as nothing could be further from the truth. Intellectual stimulation is a must while physical activity is vital to keep body and mind fit and agile.

For smokers the good news is that even when a person has been a heavy smoker before the age of 50, for those who manage to kick the habit by age 45 the prognosis for a longer and healthier life is very good. By the age of 70 or 80 there are no apparent effects from smoking earlier in life, according to a research review by George E Valliant.

The next important factor for healthy longevity is having a normal weight. As one gets older, being overweight impinges on mobility and quality of life. Obesity is a major factor for serious conditions such as stroke, type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease.

Finally, positive lifestyle factors such as a person's years of education and marital status do affect the emotions and hence their health in general. Those fortunate enough to have had a good education and are in a longstanding stable relationship are likely to reap the rewards in terms of a good long and healthy life.

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