Your Guide to Healthy Aging
An illustration of healthy aging
Sohaib Imtiaz, MD, MPH, DipIBLM, is a board-certified lifestyle medicine doctor, digital health physician, and the Chief Medical Officer for Verywell Health. He is known for his advocacy in advancing preventive healthcare models, with an emphasis on the role of lifestyle interventions in managing chronic diseases and enhancing overall well-being.
Healthy aging is about maintaining the ability to do the things that matter most to you, whether that’s playing with your grandchildren, traveling, pursuing hobbies, or simply feeling comfortable in your own body.
It’s not about preventing every ache or turning back the clock. It’s about preserving your independence, mental sharpness, and physical function as the years go by.
Change is inevitable, especially as you age. However, many of the things we fear most—frailty, confusion, and loss of mobility—are far more preventable than most people realize. Fortunately, it’s never too late to start making healthy changes.
Here are some simple habits to help you age well:
Nutrition: You need to eat more protein to protect your muscle mass as you age. Anchor your meals around a protein source like eggs, Greek yogurt, salmon, chicken, or legumes.
Physical activity: Regular physical activity helps you build the strength you need to remain active and independent. Go for a daily 20–30 minute walk to support your heart and mood, then add two weekly strength sessions.
Mobility: Don’t overlook balance and mobility; exercises like single-leg stands near a wall, gentle hip circles, and ankle rotations are among the most important ways you can prevent falls and maintain your range of motion.
Tracking with tech: Your smartphone already has a built-in health app that can track your daily steps, sleep duration, and activity patterns, so you don’t need to buy anything new. Pick one or two metrics to check consistently and let the data show you your own patterns rather than trying to track everything at once.
The best thing you can do for your future self is make the decision to start, even if it’s imperfectly or incompletely. Healthy aging isn’t a destination you arrive at; it’s a direction you choose, one habit at a time.
Your body has a remarkable capacity to respond to changes at any age, and you might be surprised by how quickly it does.
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