At a family gathering last weekend, a bunch of us decided to go for a group walk. My grandpa and uncle said they’d rather stay in the house. As we were leaving, I overheard my uncle joking that it’s hopeless for him to try to exercise at this point! This really got me thinking, so I did a little research and was excited to find out that it’s never too late to start making positive lifestyle choices.
So, if you think you’ve already done too much damage to hope for a healthy lifestyle, think again! Researchers say that it’s never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The Amercian Journal of Medicine reports that people who eat right and exercise more can substantially reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease and death, even if they don’t start making positive changes until their 50’s or 60’s.
Looking at exercise specifically, almost anyone can reap the benefits. Currently, four out of 10 older adults suffer from a chronic condition, like heart disease, high cholesterol, or arthritis. All of these conditions can be helped by exercise!
Short term benefits include more daily energy, stress and anxiety reduction and enhanced mood. Long term benefits of exercise include weight management, increased strength and balance, improvements in chronic ailments and increased life span.
Smoking is the number one cause of preventable death and illness and smokers who kick the habit begin to show signs of physical recovery almost immediately. According to the American Cancer Society, here are the effects of quitting after:
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20 minutes: Blood pressure drops to a level close to that before you had your last cigarette. The temperature of your hands and feet increases to normal.
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8 hours: Carbon monoxide level in the blood drops to normal.
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24 hours: Your chance of a heart attack decreases.
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2 weeks to 3 months: Circulation improves. Your lung function increases up to 30%.
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1 to 9 months: Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease; cilia regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce infection.
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1 year: Your chance of having a heart attack is cut in half.
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5 years: Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker five to 15 years after quitting.
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10 years: Your risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a continuing smoker; risks of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decrease.
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15 years: Your risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker.
Some of the most important things one can start doing for health benefits at any age include:
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Consuming at least five fruits and vegetables daily
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Exercise at least 30 minutes per day (it can be accumulated!)
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Quit or not start smoking
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Maintain a healthy weight
Do you have any suggestions on how to go about encouraging others to make healthy choices?