Doctors Warn If You're Over 60, You Should Stop Doing This Now

As you approach your 60s, a number of physical changes will more than likely take place such as a slower metabolism, which can cause weight gain, loss of muscle, bone and collagen and more. While we can't stop the aging process, we can slow it down with a few positive lifestyle changes. Eat This, Not That! Health spoke with health experts who reveal their tips for staying healthy into your golden years. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

Dr. Alexander L. Borsand, MD, ABLM, FMHC, a board certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician and Functional Hyperbaric Medical Clinician says, "Eating a healthier diet that is lower in sodium and cholesterol will reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America and any changes to the diet that positively impact the cardiovascular system will increase one's lifespan." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, "The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that Americans consume less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day as part of a healthy eating pattern.

Sarah Anderson, a cardiology and functional medicine nurse practitioner with Peak Integrative Wellness reminds us, "Maintaining a healthy weight is important in lowering your cardiovascular risk. Heart disease is still the number one killer in America and obesity is one of the most modifiable risk factors. Not ready to take on the scale, opt for measuring your waist circumference or your waist to hip ratio. This can be a more accurate indicator of overall cardiovascular risk." 

Dr. Borsand states, "Get regular medical checkups to ensure you are as healthy as you feel. There are a number of diseases that are asymptomatic and ensuring regular checkups will decrease the risk of dying prematurely from an untreated disease. Screening for diseases like prostate cancer, breast cancer and diabetes will lead to earlier treatment and better outcomes."

Anderson adds, "In your younger days you were healthy and probably didn't necessarily need annual check ups. But as you age, the risk of chronic illness such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease go up. Being able to detect changes and risks earlier can change the trajectory of disease. It's wise to have an annual check up with labs and EKG to make sure you remain as healthy as you feel!"

According to Anderson, "As you age the risk of skin cancers increases due to the decrease in collagen production, naturally thinning of the skin, and decreased autophagy. Recurrent sun exposure, particularly resulting in sunburn, causes damage to the DNA of your skin cells and can result in skin cancers. Be sure to wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen if you are going to be outside for more than 10 minutes, even if it's cloudy. Harmful UVB rays still penetrate through the clouds."

Kent Probst, personal trainer, kinesiotherapist and bodybuilder with Long Healthy Life explains, "A significant body of research demonstrates that the optimal speed for repetitions is 0.5 to 6 seconds. This includes the concentric contraction (shortening), the isometric contraction (static) and the eccentric contraction (lengthening). The isometric contraction occurs between the concentric and eccentric contractions. Performing your repetitions significantly faster than 6 seconds doesn't allow you to get the potential benefits (increased hypertrophy for muscle mass) of the eccentric contraction when done slowly. A good ratio is to do the concentric contraction (lifting) 2 seconds and the eccentric contraction (lowering) 4 seconds."

Probst says, "If you look around the gym, you're sure to find people not doing full range of motion (ROM). While there may be some benefits to using partial-ROM, not exploiting full ROM neglects the benefits of full ROM, particularly increased muscle mass. The stretched position elicited by full ROM is important for increasing muscle mass."

Probst says, "Many of us lead busy lives, and can only work out in the morning or midday. But did you know the best time to do strength training is between 4 pm and 6 pm? Your body temperature peaks between 4 pm and 6 pm, and it's believed to be the reason pliability, speed, and strength peak during this timeframe. Therefore, the optimal time for resistance training is 4 pm to 6 pm." And to protect your life and the lives of others, don't visit any of these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.