People who start to exercise before or during middle age typically save from $800 to $1,800 annually on health care costs after retirement.
Here are my health self-care habits
I am 54 years old and I believe to be in excellent health. I am physically active and I don’t take any medications.
Here are some of the habits which keep me healthy:
- I don’t eat any sweets
- Generally I don’t drink (about one beer or glass of wine per week)
- No drugs
- I don’t eat any processed foods
- I do about 20 minutes of light exercise every day
- I prefer to go to bed slightly hungry than full
- I try to sleep as much as my body is able to sleep (about 7 hours)
- I nurture my social life
The case for physical activity
Other friends, who don’t have similar habits, have thousands of dollars in medical expenses.
Medical research has shown that people who exercise regularly and who take care of their health, can save from $800 to $1,800 annually in health care costs.
By now, it’s common knowledge that we should engage in physical activity in order to conserve our health. Physical activity is associated with longer life spans and lower risks for a host of serious conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, depression, cancer, arthritis, obesity, and dementia. But studies show that, despite these allures, nearly half of American adults rarely, if ever, exercise. And many more follow poor diets.
Research suggests that physically active older people spend less on health care than other retired people, thanks in large part to needing fewer doctor visits and medications.
When people think of exercise, they imagine rigorous physical taxing routines, but exercise could be as simple as walking for 20 minutes every day. I do that quite often, I put on my headphones and go out for a walk.
Our bodies are made for movement. If we go from sitting in front of a computer, and then sitting on a couch to watch some TV, and don’t do any physical activity in between, our bodies start to deteriorate quite fast.
If you incorporate physical with social activity, you will have a double win. How about finding a walking friend? I do salsa dancing. When I dance, I move my body for at least one hour, and I get to meet wonderful people who are exuding endorphins.
