Elaine Green (Photographer, Operating Room Nurse, Pianist, Music Teacher) March 23, 2023

Although I am not yet 70 (I have 30 years to go), I work with and treat many who are, as I work in the operating room. I see many hip replacements, broken ankles, gallbladder and kidney stone removals, cancer biopsies, and illnesses of all kinds. I’m constantly learning how to avoid the pitfalls of age-related disease, how to be as healthy as possible, and how to enhance one’s quality of life, especially as we get older.

1. Do not stop moving - it’s important to maintain mobility! Whatever you do, just keep walking, it’s so essential for your cardiovascular system and bone health and at the same time, not too strenuous on your joints. No need to win marathons, rather just get up and move. You don’t want to be frail and have to do a hip replacement at the age of 90. I learned in nursing school that once an older adult falls, their mortality rate increases by at least 20% because they stop walking, as they are afraid to fall again thereby they begin to lose muscle, bone mass, circulation, etc. creating a vicious cycle of weakening their physical health. Walking, gardening, swimming, tai chi, line dancing, there are many low-impact activities to do that can enrich your physical health. Take care not to do anything too daring that may break your bones (ie. skateboarding, skiing, horseback riding). If you take away anything from this, I cannot stress enough that mobility is the key!
2. Do not stop learning - if you don’t use it, you lose it, which is exactly what happens to your brain. You need to keep making new neural connections and sharpen your brain’s ability, aka neuroplasticity. Always try to learn something new every day and if possible, take classes. You can learn a new instrument online! You can audit university courses! You can take up a new hobby like photography or woodwork, and learn how on YouTube. At the same time, learning gives you a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
3. Do not stop caring about your health. You have many more years to live, how do you want to feel each day? You need good health to feel good. There are many things to do in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Eat fresh, unprocessed food for maximum nutrient intake, limit sugar and seed oils, limit processed foods, take care of your gut microbiome with fermented foods. Lift weights to maintain your muscle and bone mass (we lose 10% muscle mass per decade). Wear sunscreen, protect your skin. I suppose these tips on health could apply to any age, but perhaps even more so for older adults as the body isn’t functioning as it used to when it was a teenager. I myself follow these rules, I limit sugar, processed foods, limit seed oils, and do my best to eat fresh, unprocessed food. I make my own yogurt and berry jam, I always eat a cup of raspberries as a snack for antioxidants and fibre. Same goes for sunscreen and weights. I recommend going to the doctor and getting tested for any issues, and ask how you can proactively improve your health. For example, if you have urinary retention, if you are a male, do you need to check your prostate? If you are a female, do you need to take more D-mannose to decrease UTI symptoms? How is your weight? Many diseases are exacerbated by higher BMIs. It’s also at this age where your health shows your lifestyle habits from your younger years, as well as any genetic predisposition to certain diseases.

Here’s to living well at any age :)

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-《海外南开人网》敬启

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