To Your Health
June, 2024 (Vol. 18, Issue 06) |
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Keys to Healthy Aging
By Editorial Staff
Women, listen up: Here are some of the keys to healthy aging courtesy of the latest research on the topic. Are you following this roadmap to a healthy you – or do you need to shift course as soon as possible?
Among more than 45,000 participants in the Nurses' Health Study, "healthy aging" was defined as the following: "survival to at least age 70 years with maintenance of 4 health domains (i.e., no major chronic diseases and no impairment in subjective memory, physical function, or mental health)." Findings, published in
JAMA Network Open, revealed the following:
"[S]edentary behavior was associated with reduced odds of healthy aging, while light physical activity was associated with increased odds of healthy aging. Replacing television time with light physical activity, moderate to vigorous physical activity, or sleep (in participants with inadequate sleep) were associated with better odds of healthy aging."
OK, so let's make these findings relevant to your current situation: Replacing one hour of sitting watching TV with light physical activity at home or work, or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, increases the odds of healthy aging. Replacing TV time with sleep (if you sleep seven hours or day or fewer) also increases the odds of healthy aging.
More light activity, more sleep – that's not out of the question, right? If you've been struggling to achieve one or both, ask your doctor for advice outlining a wellness program that helps build a healthier – and hopefully happier – you.
