It’s a bit of both. Healthy aging is about getting older without disease or disability. It’s about maintaining a high level of cognitive and physical function and actively engaging with life.
Healthy aging, or anti-aging, is about doing what you can to keep your body and mind active and engaged. When you are focused on doing those things, you’ll stay as young as you feel.
A positive outlook is one of the pillars of anti-aging. Happy people tend to be healthier and live longer than their negative peers. Perhaps a positive outlook is a catalyst for adopting healthier lifestyle traits.
Keeping things positive can help you deal with stress and move through difficult periods more fluidly. Focusing on acceptance, lifestyle factors you can control, and avoiding resentment are all ways to limit stress and adopting negative outlooks.
Regular physical activity promotes healthy aging in several ways. It lowers the risk of heart disease, dementia, diabetes, arthritis, and obesity. Roughly six hours of brisk walking per week can help with mobility, cognition, and more.
Additionally, exercise is great for bone health, mood, and metabolism.
Staying connected with friends and others that make you feel good can also offer anti-aging effects. Chatting, attending events (once it is safe), and other forms of socialization can all help your brain stay young. For added benefit, mix it up and try new things.
Diet plays a massive role in aging, as well. Your physical and cognitive health is largely determined by how and what you eat. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats can reduce inflammation and disease risk.
Eating too many processed foods, refined grains, and sugary snacks can promote weight gain and disease, which can hold you back from building a healthy future you desire.