Healthy ageing is achieving and keeping good physical and mental well-being while leading an active social life. It is important to keep yourself healthy, happy and independent as you age.

 

Tips to stay healthy and feel young!

Stay Physically Active

Staying physically active lowers your risk of chronic conditions such as such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes and selected cancers. It also helps decrease your risk of falling and breaking bones as well as reduce anxiety, depression and improves your overall well-being.

 

Eat Healthy

A balanced diet is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It is also low in fat, cholesterol, salt and sugar. Medication alone is usually not enough to manage your chronic conditions well. Healthy eating, together with medication plays an important role in managing chronic conditions. For instance, reduce your salt intake for better control of high blood pressure.

Be Smoke-free

If you smoke, consider quitting as it will reduce your risk of heart diseases, high blood pressure, cancers and many other chronic conditions. Quitting will also help you save money, which you can spend on your loved ones. For more advice on how to quit smoking, please call QuitLine at 1800 438 2000.

 

Keep your mind active

A healthy mind keeps you young at heart and reduces your risk of various diseases. Stay positive as you adapt and learn to cope with changes in your life.

Go for health screening

Regular health screening is important to detect conditions. Many chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood cholesterol and certain cancers (e.g. breast, cervical or colorectal cancer) can develop without any signs and symptoms. Regular health screening is important to detect these diseases early. Early detection, together with early treatment and good management of these diseases can prevent or delay the onset of complications.

Manage chronic conditions well

Chronic conditions are lifelong conditions that must be monitored and managed well to reduce the risk of complications. If you have chronic conditions, you should:

• Adopt a healthy lifestyle
• Take your medication as instructed by your doctor
• See your doctor regularly for follow up

With good knowledge and management of your condition, you will be able to enjoy an active and happy life.

Here are three more daily tips that you start doing today.

• Get enough sleep. Good quality sleep allows our bodies to get enough rest so that we are sufficiently recharged and ready for the next day.
• Eat breakfast. A hearty nutritious breakfast can give us that boost of energy older people need to kick start the day on a strong note. When we skip breakfast, we may not have enough energy and feel lethargic.
• Take a brisk walk. Just 30 minutes a day can make a huge difference to your heart health and extend your life expectancy.