3 things that can make you age faster

COLUMBUS, Ohio — September is Healthy Aging Month, a time when doctors want people to remember that our minds and bodies change as we age. As we approach the last week of September, doctors point to three things that can make you age faster.

The first mistake some people make is excessive physical activity.

Doctors say people should remember the phrase “low and slow” when it comes to exercise.

For example, using a resistance band chair exercise can be easier on the body than lifting weights.

Dr. Steven Mills of the SeniorSelect Center in Columbus said a great “medicine” for age-related ailments can be something as simple as exercise.

“If you need a drug called exercise, that drug prevents heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, emotional health, and all those things, along with a drug called exercise. It can be prescribed indoors, it can be prescribed outdoors . It’s a great drug and we need to use it more,” said Dr. Mills.

Dr. Mills said that while exercise is very important, doing the wrong exercises can lead to faster decline. He said a low impact and slower movements are key.

Loneliness is another factor that can make you age faster.

Primary care physicians say seniors often experience pain, fatigue and depression because of loneliness.

Dr. Mills said those were the three main symptoms that really showed up during the pandemic.

“So I don’t think they understand why they’re in pain. But if you take that fear, get them out of that isolation into a social facility or a senior center, get them more active, more physical and socially active, it seems that their pain is reduced,” Dr. Mills said.

Dr. Mills said some studies of loneliness show that prolonged isolation can also lead to accelerated memory aging.

Learn more about Healthy Aging Month Wednesday morning on Wake Up CBUS starting at 6am

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