What geriatricians want you to know now for a healthy old age

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Longevity is not just about living a long life, but also living a healthy life.

The Department of Health and Human Services projects that by 2040, more than one in five Americans will be 65 or older; and Over 56% Some people who turn 65 will need some kind of long-term service.

Luckily, there are some things you can do reliably, no matter what age you are. Stay healthy As we get older, the progression of geriatric diseases slows, according to Dr. John Batsis, a geriatrician at the University of North Carolina at Chapel.

Batsis, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and the Gillings School of Global Public Health, spoke to CNN about what people need to know about healthy aging.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

CNN: It can be hard for some people to know whether their health habits today will translate into results later in life. Why should people start thinking about healthy aging earlier in life?

Dr. John Batsis: Some people will get sick and become weak. Some people will be healthy well into their 90s. Some of my patients are still very healthy and active. They may not be as active as they were 20 years ago, but they still do the things they love to do.

You have to find a sense of self, a sense of purpose, you have to find a sense of what makes you happy, and that may be different at each stage of your life.

You can't change your genes, you can't change your past, but you can change your future with the things you can change: what you eat, how much exercise you do, getting involved in your community, quitting smoking or drinking, these are things you can control. And you have the tools. Your Medical Team And community resources can help them achieve them, too.

Part of it is getting to the point where you can actually say, “Yes, I'm going to change.” For that change to occur, you have to have the will to change.

CNN: What is one thing you wish you could change earlier in life to impact your life in retirement?

Batsis: That's a really great question and one that I get asked a lot, not only by my patients but also by their children and my family and friends. The factors that lead to healthy aging have been shown many times, but they can really be narrowed down to just a few factors.

First, proper nutrition is important throughout infancy, childhood, adolescence and old age. Second, regular physical activity and exercise are crucial. And the third big category is social connectedness.

We often think of these as silos and in isolation, but in reality we need to think of them collaboratively, together, synergistically. One can influence the other, but the sum of the parts is actually greater than the whole.

CNN: What does proper nutrition mean?

Batsis: When we think of healthy nutrition, we often think of a balanced diet, a Mediterranean diet.

Food is often a difficult thing, especially in the Western industrialized world. It's very hard to get away from the fast food industry. But home cooking – cooking your own fresh fruits and vegetables and thinking about that kind of diet – is really very important and nutritious. Try to avoid processed foods and think about more holistic types of foods.

This is really something to think about more consistently: food is medicine, and I think this is a concept that is being increasingly called for and supported by both medical and non-medical professionals.

This goes beyond aging: starting younger, getting into schools earlier, engaging individuals and kids earlier, building skills and habits that are sustainable for life, that become part of everyday life and not a chore.

CNN: What kind of exercise is most important to you?

Batsis: Regular walking, regular activity. 150 minutes of activity Divided by 30 minutes per week Five or more days of moderate exercise is really recommended, and in addition to that, you should be thinking about resistance exercise as well as aerobic exercise, which becomes even more important to maintain muscle mass and strength as you get older because we know that as we age, our ability to maintain muscle mass and strength decreases.

CNN: Why is social connection so important?

Batsis: The importance of social connections in ageing is often overlooked, understudied and underappreciated.. One of the challenges in our country is that we have a lot of people spread out, which is not as common in other countries where people are not so spread out geographically, or where family units are right next to each other or in the same region.

For example, it is not uncommon for some of my patients to have children who live on the other side of the country, or friends who live on the other side of the country.

Social networking is so helpful for inspiring conversations. It's a sense of self, happiness, purpose, sharing stories, sharing community. It's fun. It's good for your mental health. We know that as we get older, we're at risk for depression, which can be really difficult.

CNN: What about older people reading this? Does this advice still apply?

Batsis: Healthy aging can happen at any stage of life — not just in young adulthood, middle adulthood, or retirement age — but even into your 80s and 90s.

Everyone has a different definition of healthy aging, but the question is: what does it mean to you, what is important to you at this stage of your life, how can you achieve what is important to you, and then develop a plan or a strategy to help the individual patient achieve that. That's the key, and it can't be a top-down approach. You need to involve the patient. Understand what is important to them from the inside and provide strategies to help them and achieve what is important to them. It comes from within.