life begins at 60—but only if you take care of your mental and physical health. “Many people in this years must face changes in their careers and consider what their years will be like after retirement,” says Tanya Gure, M.D.. “I see a lot of patients planning to retire, but there are often added concerns. For example, more and more people in their 60s are not only continuing to oversee the lives of their own adult children, but also taking care of their grandchildren, whether financially or caring for children. Not to mention caring for the elderly, which also comes up at this age. It’s important to maintain healthy habits in your 60s to stay mentally, emotionally and physically strong.” Here are five things doctors want you to avoid after 60. Read on, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure signs you’ve already had COVID.
According to the CDC, older adults who aren’t vaccinated are the most likely to experience serious complications from COVID-19, so if you’re over 60, make sure you’re up to date on your shots and boosters. “The great risk factor is age,” says William Petri, an immunologist at the University of Virginia. “If you’re under 45, your chances of dying are almost non-existent and then increase exponentially.”
Getting enough sleep is essential to fight serious health conditions such as dementia.
“Many older adults tend to be sleepier earlier at night and wake up earlier in the morning than when they were younger.” says Rajkumar Dasgupta, MD. “This is a circadian rhythm problem called advanced sleep phase disorder (ASPD) or ‘the morning lark.’ In general, inadequate or poor quality sleep is associated with a lower quality of life in older adults. It’s important to remember that although sleep patterns change as we age, sleep disturbances and waking up tired every day are not part of normal aging.”
“Inadequate sleep in midlife increases risk of dementia,” says Andrew E. Budson, MD. “There are many reasons for poor sleep in midlife: shift work, insomnia, caregiving responsibilities, anxiety, and pressing deadlines, just to name a few. While not all of them are controllable, some are. For example, if you’re currently single sleep four to five hours because you work late every night, you may want to change your habits, otherwise you risk developing dementia by the time you retire.”
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Exercise is crucial for overall health and happiness, especially as we age – regular exercise is linked to better mental health, heart health, weight management and much more. “The benefits of exercise far outweigh the fear of starting,” says physical therapist Gary Calabrese. “It increases mobility, balance, reduces chronic conditions, helps with weight loss and increases lean muscle mass. It also improves sleep.”
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Eating a nutritious, balanced diet is key to healthy aging, but a diet full of sugar and processed foods could lead to serious health conditions. “As you age, you may have to think outside the box when obstacles to healthy eating arise,” says Katherine D. McManus, MS, RD, LDN. “For example, if you have trouble leaving the house or handling heavy grocery bags, try a grocery delivery service. This gives you the convenience of shopping online and having your food delivered right to your door. days you feel like having too much hassle or feel like your energy dips at night, try prepping a few meals on the weekend. Keep them refrigerated or frozen and ready to reheat during the week. One-pot meals are a great way to to quickly cook healthy, balanced, affordable meals, which can also be an important consideration as you age.”
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Smoking is terrible for your health and can shorten your life; Fortunately, there is evidence that your lungs have a good chance of recovering even after years of smoking. “There is a population of cells that magically replenish the lining of the airways,” says Peter Campbell, M.D.. “One of the remarkable things was that patients who had quit smoking, even after 40 years of smoking, had regenerated cells that were totally unharmed by tobacco exposure.”
