Healthy Aging Month

What a great awareness month, we all age so why not age healthy. Below are tips you can apply to your life today for better physical and mental health Here’s to our future.

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It’s time to celebrate September Healthy Aging^® Month, the annual observance month designed to focus national attention on the positive aspects of growing older.

What is September is Healthy Aging Month All About?

The observance month began more than 30 years ago as part of our National Healthy Aging^® Campaign to continue to draw attention to healthy, active lifestyles at any age.

Carolyn Worthington, president of Healthy Aging^®, the official multi-media platform promoting the month, created it in 1992.

“Our goal in creating the month was to draw attention to the positive sides of growing older. We felt there needed to be a second time during the year in addition to May is Older Americans Month. September was chosen because so many people felt they could “get started” more easily at that time. Maybe the back-to-school routine never really goes away.”

Now, after more than thirty years, Worthington sees the national interest in continuing healthy lifestyles well into old age as never been stronger.

“We were pleased to announce that the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the resolution marking September as National Healthy Aging Month in 2021,” Worthington said. Numerous governors before that proclaimed the national observance month for their states as well.

“We are proud of our efforts to continue to build awareness for healthy lifestyles. Since we kicked off the observance month, the myths of aging have been chipping away,” Worthington said. “We are also proud to say the month we started is now on most national health observance calendars.”

“Of course, there are still stereotypes about older adults,” Worthington said. Perhaps the baby boomers embracing aging like no other generation started turning the tide. Seeing people in their 80s and 90s doing spectacular things today is not unusual.”

10 Tips for Healthy Aging^®

The four main components of a healthy lifestyle fall into four main categories: physical, social, mental, and financial wellness.

Move more, sit less. Why? Physical activity is your weapon to help control blood pressure, help prevent heart disease and stroke, and possibly lower your risk for depression, anxiety, and conditions like certain cancers and type 2 diabetes. What to do? Choose something fun so you can keep at it, like cycling, walking, dancing, swimming, or aerobics.
How much do you need to do? Current national recommendations are 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week and two days of muscle-strengthening training. That’s only 20 minutes a day, 7 days a week, or around an hour a day if you do three days a week.
Get motivated with free websites and apps like All Trails to find parks and trails around the world; American Heart Association with ideas on how to join a walking club, or The CDC with ideas for individuals with a disability
Get Those Annual Check-Ups. Make this month the time to set up your annual physical and other health screenings. Go to the appointments, and then, hopefully, you can stop worrying about ailments for a while.
Volunteer. ..Being of service is an excellent way to bring happiness into your life and not focus on yourself. Refocus on others and volunteer your time and expertise. United Way, the American Red Cross, VolunteerMatch, and AmeriCorps are all helpful resources.
Beat back loneliness. Don’t wait for the phone to ring. Be proactive and call someone for a lunch date. Set up a calendar of lunch dates and challenge yourself to have at least two lunch dates per month (once a week is even better!) It doesn’t have to be expensive … pack a picnic, and head to a park. Try to mix up your get-togethers with old friends and new acquaintances.
Rekindle or follow a new passion. Take a hard look at what you like to do rather than what other people tell you to do to meet new people. Pick some activities where you might meet new friends.
Get a dog. If you don’t have one, get one and walk. You will be amazed how many people you will meet through your dog. Can’t have one? Check your local humane society to see if they need dog walkers
Be realistic about what you can accomplish. Learn to say no …, and don’t overwhelm yourself with a to-do list. The non-profit Mental Health America offers more tips for reducing or controlling stress.
Plan for your next passage. Capitalize on your career experience and start a new one. Yes, enjoy a brief “retirement.” Travel, and spend more time with family and friends. Develop new hobbies. Redefining your purpose to maintain a sense of identity and purpose is essential to a healthy lifestyle.