September - Healthy Aging Awareness Month
September is Healthy Aging Awareness Month; its purpose is to focus national attention on the many positive aspects of growing older. It is important to develop healthy habits at a young age of course. However, if that wasn’t the case for you, you’re not alone. Most people don’t really start to develop healthy habits until they start getting older. It is essential to develop healthy habits as you age, to continue to live an active lifestyle, as long as possible. Due to advancements in health and medicine, we live longer lives now than ever before, even with advancements in modern medicine, it is important to continue to develop healthy habits for healthy aging.
Our goal is to encourage you to become aware of all aspects that play a role in healthy aging, this includes physical and mental health, diet, and social skills as well. We believe you can be inspired to celebrate life and maintain or gain a more positive outlook on growing older.
Tips for Positive Healthy Aging
- Balance Body & Mind: There is always a focus on physical exercise, however, mental exercise is mentioned much less. Keeping your mind active and engaged is equally as important as physical exercise. You can do this by reading, doing mental exercises like word searches or crossword puzzles or even simple math problems. Even a new creative hobby can help to improve mental function, lower stress and assist in warding off diseases like Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
- Maintain a Healthy Diet: Healthy diet is a major part of healthy aging, in general, Americans tend to not eat enough fruits and vegetables and have larger than normal portion sizes. Oversized portions can lead to a host of unwanted health issues such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Be sure to include not only more fruits and vegetables on your plate but also protein. Most importantly, avoid foods that are excessively processed.
- Regularly Exercise: Regular exercise can include an activity as simple as a short walk, it all depends on your mobility level and what your doctor recommends, so be sure to check with the physicians of Suntree Internal Medicine first! Benefits of regular exercise for aging adults include improved cognitive function, disease prevention, improved mention health and more.
- Regular Check-Ups & Annual Physicals: It’s important to keep annual check-ups even if you are feeling well. An annual check-up can lead to detection of a serious illness that can save your life. Additionally, if you aren’t feeling well, don’t hesitate to make an appointment at our Melbourne doctor’s office, ignoring symptoms until they go away could lead to much larger issues.
- Get Social & Stay Social: It’s never too late to make new friends and be sure to keep in touch with old friends too! The more interaction the better, little to no interaction leads to isolation, which in turn leads to depression. Any depression or negative feelings can be detrimental to mental and even physical health.
The doctors of Suntree Internal Medicine encourage you to reach out with any questions regarding healthy aging, or any issues at all. We look forward to assisting and treating you for many years to come. Stay safe and healthy, we’ll see you at your next appointment!
