As we grow older and joints and muscles grow achier, mustering the motivation for a healthy lifestyle gets harder. However, when we can no longer take our good health for granted is precisely the time that healthy habits are most important.

Of course, it’s possible to feel better, live better, and do more as you age. However, better aging doesn’t come without effort. If you want to make the most of each day and live a fuller life, you need to make wellness a priority.

How? Courtesy of AlrightNow, here are seven ways you can live a healthier, richer life so you grow better with age.

 

Stay Physically Active

A body in motion stays in motion. It’s true for physics, and it’s true for aging. As tempting as it may be to settle into your La-Z-Boy for a retirement of leisure, a sedentary lifestyle does the aging body no favors. Inactivity is linked to mobility loss and disability in adults aged 60 and up.

Exercise that improves heart health, builds strength, and enhances balance and flexibility is important for our aging bodies. One mistake people make is focusing too much on aerobic activity like walking and jogging and not enough on strength training. However, it’s building muscle that will keep your body strong and capable at every age.

Consider building out a home gym in your home to ensure you have all the necessary equipment. With the right space you can have room for a cardio machine as well as a weight bench and other necessary equipment. If you opt to make this a flex-room, you could even add some value to your home. Talk about a win-win!

 

Maintain a Positive Attitude

Positive thinking does for the mind what resistance training does for the body. Optimistic people have less stress, better coping skills, and lower rates of depression compared to glass-half-empty types.

While you might think optimism and pessimism are personality traits, the way you think is primarily a matter of habit. You can train yourself to stop negative thinking in its tracks and practice gratitude and positive self-talk. If bad energy has pervaded your household, start by opening the windows, taking out the trash, and declutter for an emotional fresh start.

 

Watch Your Weight

You don’t need a supermodel-slim figure in your Golden Years. In fact, a few extra pounds may have a protective effect on the 80-plus crowd. However, it’s still important to maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI) as you age. Obesity-related health conditions like heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes are leading causes of death among adults in early old age.

While weight loss is important if you’re outside of a healthy weight range, it shouldn’t be done at the sake of nutrition. Adjusting your eating habits to include more protein, fiber, and fresh produce is both more effective and safer than crash dieting.

 

Mind Your Diet

You can’t outrun a bad diet — especially when your knees gave out years ago. When you need to lose weight, the kitchen is the first place to start. Unfortunately, many people lose motivation to cook healthy homemade meals as they grow older and nests grow empty. That leads to relying on ultra-processed foods out of habit and convenience instead of eating a balanced diet.

Eating well doesn’t have to be complicated. There are a lot of healthy dishes you can make using common pantry ingredients like beans, rice, canned soup, whole grain pasta, and frozen vegetables. If you want to include more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet without adding trips to the grocery store, try a fresh produce delivery service.

 

Nurture Healthy Relationships

Good health goes beyond how we treat ourselves. The relationships we have with others also impact well-being as we age. In fact, relationships have been called the secret to healthy aging due to the impact of social support on mental health, heart health, and immunity.

Unfortunately, the nature of aging makes close relationships tough to maintain. Physical distance, disability, and death limit older adults’ social circles, and making new friends after 60 is tough. If you could use a stronger support system, get involved in the community through volunteering and social organizations, or try social apps like Meetup.

 

Make Simple Daily Changes

Does this all sound like a lot of work? To be honest: It is. However, you don’t have to do it all at once. Start small with a few simple changes, then build on that progress until you reach your goals. Done consistently, even small changes add up to a big impact over time.

My best tip for effective goal-setting is to think small. Want to lose weight? Start by eating one more serving of vegetables a day. Sleep better? Shift your bedtime by 15 minutes nightly. Exercise more? First, try to walk for the recommended 150 minutes a week. While this goes against our instincts to seek immediate gratification, small changes are the most sustainable.

 

Have Fun!

Living well shouldn’t be all hard work. Whether it’s discovering new vegetables at the farmers market, finding an active hobby you enjoy, or making friends at the local fitness center, there are plenty of ways to align a fun lifestyle with a healthy lifestyle.

Don’t forget to have fun for the sake of fun itself! Traveling, volunteering, joining a social organization, trying a new hobby, doing something creative, and even starting a side business are all ways you can keep your retirement years interesting. You can even go back to school for the degree you’ve always wanted. Online universities provide plenty of flexibility so that you can more easily manage your studies and personal responsibilities. Remember, it’s a lot easier to live well when you have a reason to get out of bed in the morning!

 

This list isn’t intended to make you feel guilty for everything you’re not doing. Instead, let it serve as motivation and a reminder that good health starts with good habits. While we can’t stave off every change that comes with growing older, we can do our best to live well at every age.