The month of September is all about Healthy Aging. No matter when you start, a healthy lifestyle improves your quality of life and may extend your lifespan.

When you are physically active, eat healthfully, avoid tobacco and excessive consumption of alcohol, and get regular check-ups you are more likely to look forward to many years of staying active and independent. What’s good for your body is good for your spirit as well. Many research studies have found clear links between lifestyle behaviors and chronic disease.

No matter when you start, a healthy lifestyle improves your quality of life and may extend your lifespan. People who are physically active, eat healthfully, avoid tobacco and alcohol, and who get regular check-ups are more likely to look forward to many years of staying active and independent.

More than 50% of people die from preventable diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and stroke. How a body ages is linked in part to family patterns of aging and genetics, but the greatest impact on how well we age is our personal health behaviors. Your daily lifestyle choices have the most influence on how well your body ages.

You should be aware of your physical, mental and social wellness. These components are the keys to healthy living at any age.

* Physical: Choose an exercise that you like and stick with it. Engage in 30 minutes of aerobic and weight-bearing exercise every day. Regular exercise is even more important for seniors than other age groups. The risk of disease and lost mobility is greater and the positive effects are realized more quickly. Look for ways every day to exercise in work and play. Force yourself to walk by parking your car several parking aisles away from the store or your office entrance and walk briskly.

* Mental: Exercise your mind by reading, learning a new skill, or researching something that interests you. Find a hobby or learn how to play a musical instrument. The greatest enemy to the healthy senior mind is depression. If you truly are depressed, don’t deal with it alone. New activities, hobbies, and exercise are great anti-depressants.

* Social: Give time locally through volunteer groups, religious organizations, or civic groups. Stay in close contact with friends and family. Write, email, or call someone daily.

Chronic illnesses such as heart disease and cancer are having a greater impact on an increasingly aging population. Mental and neurological illnesses, such as depression and Alzheimer’s disease, are more common in older adults.

Like adults, children and adolescents can have physical and mental health disorders that interfere with the way they think, feel, and act. Mental health influences the ways individuals look at themselves, their lives, and others in their lives. Physical health and mental health are important at every stage of life.

“Our families are our greatest hope for the future. Families span generations. They offer us comfort, security and sustenance. And older members of our families, grandparents, parents, relatives and even neighbors provide us with the historical perspective that enables us to move forward and contribute to our nations greatness and prosperity as so many have done before….

“We must work to ensure health and human services reach across generations, where we have young people working as volunteers to assist our elders, and at the same time, we have older adults working with youth…..Stronger individuals result in stronger communities, and stronger communities create a stronger nation overall.” Josefina G. Carbonell Assistant Secretary for Aging

It is of vital importance of protecting and nurturing the physical and mental health of people of all ages. Many adults and children alike have mental health problems that are real, painful, and sometimes severe. You must seek early, appropriate treatment and assistance for yourself and your family.

According to the Good Health Practices Study, a 15-year study of more than 6900 people, researchers identified 7 health habits that were good predictors of how long people lived. People following six or seven of these health practices lived as much as 11 years longer than those following fewer than four. These good health practices include:

1. not smoking

2. regular aerobic exercise (at least 30 minutes 3x/week)

3. moderate or no alcohol use

4. adequate sleep (7-8hrs/night-most nights)

5. maintaining a recommended desirable body weight based on body fat

6. eat a good breakfast every/most mornings

7. avoid frequent snacking on typical junk food snacks.

It’s never too early or too late to take the path of healthy aging. If you are feeling well and vital, good self-care helps slow or prevent many problems. Making more healthy choices can have a big impact on how you feel, both physically and mentally. No matter what your age, you are your own best health advocate. Play an active part in your health care decisions, learn as much about them as you can, and personally manage your medical information and medication.

Sources: SAMHSA; National Mental Health Information Center; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; MedicineNet.com; Preferred Care; St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center’s HealthSteps; Kathe Gallagher, MSW