Physician shares tips on keys to healthy aging

(CNN) – September is Healthy Aging Month, a time to bring awareness to the process of staying physically, mentally and socially healthy as we grow older.

Experts say it all starts in younger years.

Dr. Chirag Panchal, family medicine with Orlando Health, says, “Choices that we should be making in our 30s, 40s, and 50s, for example, help us age really well when we’re 60s, 70s, and 80s.”

Panchal says the first key to health as we age is nutrition, maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.

Next, keep your body active.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says average adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of muscle strengthening exercises a week.

Third, Panchal says to keep your brain active and stimulated, and that means getting adequate sleep, between seven to nine hours a night.

Fourth, care for your emotional well-being.

Panchal says to check in with yourself, practice mindfulness and gratitude and cultivate a positive mindset.

Fifth, stay connected. Being engaged with others can help stave off loneliness and isolation.

Sixth, prevent injuries.

Panchal says falls are a leading cause of injury and disability in older adults.

Balance and strength training can help keep bones healthy. Also, remove trip hazards, like loose cords, from the home and wear proper footwear.

Finally, stay up to date on your preventative healthcare routine.

That includes routine checkups, vaccines and screenings.

Panchal says, “We can add more healthy years by making small, consistent, healthy daily choices.”

The CDC says that while making positive lifestyle choices early in life can help overall well-being as we age, the agency says it’s never too late to adopt healthy habits that can create positive changes in our lives.