As we grow older, our habits become more important to our health. Some of the things we did in our younger days may no longer sit well with our bodies. So it’s important to tune in to what’s not working and make changes as needed.

Here are 4 ways to ease into your senior years with stamina and strength. The goal: to keep living well and feeling your best.

Get ready to sleep well.

Getting enough sleep is key to physical and mental health. But it's also harder to do in our later years. One reason: We make less of the hormone melatonin as we age. This can disrupt sleep patterns.

Melatonin is a hormone that makes you feel sleepy. It’s all based around light. When it starts getting dark outside, your body makes more melatonin. In the morning, sunlight tells your brain to make less. As a result, you feel more awake.

That’s why it’s not a good idea to stare at bright electronic screens close to bedtime. The light can trick your brain into thinking it’s daytime. Then you produce less melatonin and feel more awake. The fix? Dim your screens at night. And turn off your devices at least 30 minutes before you go to bed.

Exercise. (You knew this would be on the list.)

There’s no magic youth pill — yet. But nothing comes closer to stopping the aging process than exercise. Research from Brigham Young University (BYU) suggests that staying active may slow aging inside your cells. 

The study looked at the cells of very active people who jogged 30 to 40 minutes a day, 5 days a week. It found that their cells were 7 years younger than those of people who are moderately active. And their cells were 9 years younger than the cells of mostly inactive people.

“We all know people that seem younger than their actual age,” Larry Tucker, Ph.D., said of the study, published in Preventive Medicine. Tucker was the lead author of the study and an exercise sciences professor at BYU. “The more active we are, the less biological aging takes place in our bodies.”

Stay connected.

In an 80-year study, Harvard University researchers started tracking 268 sophomores in 1938. They were watching to see how the students’ health changed over time. The biggest takeaway: Our connection to our community has a profound effect on how well we age. 

In the study, researchers looked at older people who spent most of their awake time in the company of others. That included spouses, friends, children, grandchildren, caregivers, neighbors, and fellow volunteers. They learned that the most social people were much happier than those who spent more time alone. The social folks also had lower levels of pain and fewer physical limitations.

Other research supports the health-boosting powers of community as we age. For example, a recent research review looked at 23 studies on the role of social relationships in health and longevity. The findings showed again and again that having strong social support led to a lower risk of disease and death during the study periods.

So how does it work? Tucker points to the stress-busting effects of spending time with the people we care about most.

Adopt a pet.

Having a pet in your later years doesn’t just keep loneliness at bay. It also helps you stay healthy. The connection shared between pets and people lowers stress. It also keeps us more active and alert. Simply petting a dog has been shown to help lower blood pressure and ease depression.

Can’t care for a pet? Most shelters welcome volunteers to walk dogs. And some have hours when you can come and pet the cats who love to sit in people’s laps.

[Sources:]

1. “Aging and Sleep.” Sleep Foundation, March 18, 2022, https://www.sleepfoundation.org/aging-and-sleep. Accessed May 12, 2022.

2. “Circadian Rhythms.” National Institute of General Medical Sciences, March 11, 2022, https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspx. Accessed May 10, 2022.

3. “Put the Phone Away! 3 Reasons Why Looking at It Before Bed is a Bad Habit.” Cleveland Clinic, April 22, 2019, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/put-the-phone-away-3-reasons-why-looking-at-it-before-bed-is-a-bad-habit/. Accessed May 10, 2022.

4. Tucker, LA. “Physical Activity and Telomere Length in U.S. Men and Women: An NHANES Investigation.” Preventive Medicine, July 2017, vol. 100, pp: 145-151.

5. “High Levels of Exercise Linked to Nine Years of Less Aging (At the Cellular Level.” Brigham Young University, May 10, 2017, https://news.byu.edu/news/high-levels-exercise-linked-nine-years-less-aging-cellular-level. Accessed May 10, 2022.

6. “Study of Adult Development.” Harvard Medical School, https://www.adultdevelopmentstudy.org/. Accessed May 10, 2022.

7. Waldinger RJ and Schulz MS. “What’s Love Got To Do With It?: Social Functioning, Perceived Health, and Daily Happiness in Married Octogenarians.” Psychology and Aging. June 2010, vol. 25, no. 2, pp: 422-431.

8. Vila J. “Social Support and Longevity: Meta-Analyisis-Based Evidence and Psychobiological Mechanisms.” Frontiers in Psychology, September 13, 2021.

9. “The Friend Who Keeps You Young.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-friend-who-keeps-you-young. Accessed May 12, 2022.