Have you ever decided to lead a better lifestyle but quickly changed your mind after realising it was too late to develop new habits? It’s time to take control and stop letting your age hold you back since, shockingly, there isn’t much of a difference between a brain that is 18 years old and one that is 100 years old.

Yash Birla says that you are never too old to adopt new, healthy behaviour, so use that as encouragement. The benefits: More than 6,000 people between the ages of 44 and 84 were monitored for more than seven years as part of the Johns Hopkins-led Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Those who made healthy lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, eating a Mediterranean-style diet, exercising frequently, and maintaining a healthy weight reduced their risk of death during that time by 80%. The following tips can help you understand how to stay healthy and fit as you get older.

Yash Birla’s tips on how to stay healthy and fit as you get older

  • Be active more often

Exercise greatly lowers your risk of acquiring heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and a number of cancers; this profound effect is known to medical professionals as “compression of morbidity.” It basically means that you stay healthier longer in your latter years compared to someone who spends their final five or ten years of life battling chronic illness.

One of the best things you can do to protect against dementia and other cognitive problems is exercise. Once your doctor has given you the all-clear, try to get in at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

  • Improve your diet

Although there are several methods to help with weight loss, the objective goes beyond simply shedding pounds. According to research, anyone who wants to prevent dementia and lower other health concerns is encouraged to eat in the Mediterranean way. While being low in meat, sweets, and processed foods, it is high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, salmon, and olive oil, all of which support improved cell function.

  • Get quality sleep

Lack of sleep has an impact on your memory, emotions, weight, and even appearance, believes Yash Birla. Even though it can be harder to fall asleep and stay asleep as you get older, you still need the same amount of hours.

The National Sleep Foundation states that the majority of sleep issues are caused by snoring, drug side effects, and underlying medical illnesses such as acid reflux, depression, and prostate issues. It’s a good idea to bring up these concerns with your doctor first. By providing a relaxing environment, allocating enough time for sleep, and exercising relaxation techniques, you can also get more restful sleep.

  • Stop smoking

The risk of a heart attack declines within only 24 hours of quitting smoking. In terms of the long-term benefits, researchers from Johns Hopkins University and other universities have found that quitting smoking decreased middle-aged smokers’ risk of dying young by almost half.

Exercise can help you overcome the urge to smoke and withdrawal symptoms. When you schedule your workouts around when you’re most likely to crave a smoke, you’ll probably start to prefer going for a walk or a bike ride. Are you still having issues on your own? Ask your doctor about courses and tools to help you stop smoking.

  • Challenge your brain

Your brain enjoys taking on new challenges, whether it’s learning a new language or taking a different route to work. Yash Birla suggests that as you become older, make it a point to continue learning new things.