No one can avoid growing old, but we can age in better health. Midlife is the right time to build up "health savings" for the years ahead.
Work pressure, stress, pollution and the pace of modern life make many people feel they are "aging faster" than their years. To understand this properly, it helps to separate two things: the body growing older as a natural process, and aging that is sped up by illness and an unhealthy lifestyle.
How aging happens
Aging is a normal biological process that begins once we reach adulthood and continues throughout life. As the years go by, cells renew more slowly, and our organs gradually lose some of their reserve and become less able to adapt. This process cannot be reversed.
However, biological age does not always match the age on your papers. Some people are still quick, clear-minded and working well at 60. Others, only in midlife, are already carrying excess weight, high blood pressure, diabetes, worn-out joints, poor sleep and declining fitness.
That difference shows that how fast we age is strongly influenced by genetics, environment, diet, physical activity, sleep, stress, chronic illness and everyday habits.
Is old age the same as illness?
The risk of illness rises with age, but that does not mean everyone must be sick in old age. As the body's ability to defend itself and recover declines, older adults become more prone to:
- High blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.
- Osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.
- Cancer, cognitive decline and many other chronic diseases.
What is worth noting is that a large share of the burden of illness in old age comes from factors that could have been changed many years earlier: smoking, excess weight, heavy drinking, physical inactivity, poor diet, lack of sleep and long-term stress. These habits speed up aging and bring illness on sooner. In short, the body will still grow old, but we can slow the decline in function and extend the years we live in good health.
Midlife is the time to invest in old age
Many people wait until they are 60, or until a disease is found, before paying attention to their health. By then it is often late. The middle-age years are actually the key period for laying the foundation for old age. Some things worth doing regularly and over the long term:
- Keep a healthy weight; monitor your blood pressure, blood sugar and blood fats.
- Quit smoking and keep alcohol to a minimum.
- Eat plenty of vegetables, fruit, fish, whole grains and healthy protein.
- Cut back on sugar, salt and ultra-processed foods.
Exercise can be seen as an anti-aging "medicine". People in midlife should exercise regularly, combining endurance training with muscle-strengthening work, keeping their balance and staying flexible. The aim is not only to lose weight but also to preserve muscle mass, strength and the ability to get around on your own in later life.
Caring for your mind and staying connected with others
Healthy aging is not simply the absence of disease. Mood, memory, sleep and the relationships around us also contribute greatly to quality of life. Constant stress, isolation, poor sleep and too little mental activity can drag overall health down. So it is a good idea to keep a job that suits your strength, nurture your own hobbies, talk with people, keep learning new things and stay positive.
Geriatric specialists stress that the goal is not just to live longer, but to stay healthy longer, stay independent longer and enjoy a better quality of life.
If you have reached middle age and have never had a health check, you can come to Ky Hoa Medical Center for a general checkup, where a doctor will order suitable laboratory tests and advise you on how to keep track of your blood pressure, blood sugar and blood fats. Simply walk in during opening hours and take a queue number.
Ky Hoa Medical Center is open Monday to Saturday, 6:30 - 11:30 and 13:00 - 17:00; closed on Sunday. Address: 266A - 268 3 Thang 2 Street, Hoa Hung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Hotline 028.3868.1097.
Source: Suc Khoe & Doi Song (Health & Life) newspaper