Our bodies are machines that need preventative maintenance to help them last a long long time. As I’ve stated previously on this blog, a healthy retirement is the ultimate mission and goal. If we can help just one person better their health and be healthy enough to do whatever they want after retiring then we’ve succeeded. If you have any healthy habits you’d like to share please do so in the comment section below. It’s important to always be aware of what we are doing right now, to help our bodies be healthy down the road. The multi million dollar machines I deal with every day have complex preventative maintenance schedules to keep them running for many years and make the company’s investment worthwhile.
Consider this an owner’s manual for the body, and it doesn’t have to be complex. It just basic easy things we can do to make getting older a little less painful.
The Basics:
Teeth-Brushing and flossing are a given and not smoking is always a good thing. How about eating some more carrots, apples, and pears which are high in fiber and lower your risk of developing gum disease.
Eyes-People who smoke double their risk of developing macular degeneration so yet another reason to toss those cigarettes. Eating more fish with high Omega-3 fatty acids helps to guard your retinas. Even taking an Omega-3 supplement is an easy way to get those valuable Omega-3’s.
Ears– I love me some loud music. Which is very bad in large doses. I do try to minimize those head banging moments. My problem is I love the music loud. Especially when I’m exercising or even when the sun is shining and a great song comes on the radio, I just can’t help but turn it up. Music has always been my go to in good times and bad. I just have to try to keep the volume at a safe level. Loud music is not healthy (for the ears) and could play a role in age related hearing loss. Always try to protect your ears when working in a loud environments, like mowing the lawn or working on your hot rod or Harley. After you’re done working make sure to have a glass of red wine which has been shown to delay age-related hearing loss.
Heart-Dropping those excess pounds is always great for your heart. If someone has told you that you snore loudly when you sleep, you should probably be checked for sleep apnea. Violent snoring and interrupted breathing may contribute to constriction in pulmonary blood vessels. This is not good and if you suspect sleep apnea, a CPAP device to open your airway will do wonders for keeping that precious heart healthy and may help to extend your retirement years.
Liver– The obvious partying to you puke is never a good idea. Unfortunately, more than two drinks at a time can knock off some liver cells. I like to let loose every now and then. Which is not good for the liver but for psyche, it helps just little. I don’t party till I puke, but I will have more than two drinks once in a while, and always mixing in some water to stay hydrated. If you feel your liver may have been stressed, drink some coffee and have some garlic which are proven to strengthen the liver.
Lungs-Garlic also helps the lungs. In a Chinese study people who ate raw garlic at least twice a week were 44 percent less likely of developing lung cancer. The secret weapon in garlic is the compound allicin.
Back– Those back muscles support your spine, and basic lifts like squats, deadlifts, and straight-leg deadlifts engage the spine through a full range of motion. Try an exercise call supermans. Lie on your stomach, raise your arms and legs and hold.
“Exercise is the No. 1 ticket item to have for ensuring a long, happy life,” says Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Waltham, Mass., and director of the Harvard study. “It protects your heart and prevents disability later in life.”