What you need to know about healthy aging now

As we journey through life, the concept of aging becomes an inevitable reality. However, the way we approach and embrace the aging process can greatly impact our overall well-being. Healthy aging is not just about living longer, but also about living better. It encompasses physical, mental, and emotional aspects that contribute to a fulfilling and vibrant life as we grow older.

Longevity means not only living long, but also living well.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services predicts that by 2040, more than one in five Americans will be 65 or older. More than 56% of 65-year-olds will need some kind of long-term services.

Fortunately, there are things you can do no matter your age to make sure you stay healthy as the years go by, says Dr. John Basis, a geriatrician at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Battis, an associate professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and the Gillings School of Global Public Health, tells CNN what people should know about healthy aging.

Some people may become sickly. Some people remain energetic well into their 90s. I have patients who are still very healthy and active - they may not be as active as they were 20 years ago, but they're still doing the things they want to do.

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

You can't change your genes, and you can't change your past. But you can try to change your future by doing some of the things you can change. If that means changing your diet, how often you exercise or participate in community activities, or quit smoking or drinking – these are things you can control. And there are tools — like working with your health care team and community resources — that can help you achieve these goals.

Part of that is actually getting to the point where you say, "Yes, I'm willing to change." You have to be willing to change to make that change happen.

Q: What changes would you like people to make early in life to impact their aging process?

A: That’s a great question, and one I get asked all the time—not just by my patients and their children, but also by my family and friends. Many factors have been repeatedly shown to promote healthy aging, but you can really boil it down to a few factors.

The first is proper nutrition, which actually starts in infancy and continues through childhood, adolescence, and even old age. Secondly, regular physical activity and exercise are crucial. And then the third major category is social relationships.

We often think of these as separate entities, but in reality you need to consider these factors together and in synergy. One factor may influence another, but the sum of the parts is greater than the whole.

Q: What do you mean by proper nutrition?

Answer: We usually think of healthy nutrition as a balanced diet, that is, a Mediterranean diet.

Eating environments are often challenging, especially in Western industrialized societies. It's hard to break away from the fast food industry. But home cooking—cooking fresh fruits and vegetables for yourself and thinking about eating them—is really important and nutritious. Try to stay away from processed foods and consider more whole foods.

It's really more consistent thinking. Food is medicine, and I think this is a concept that is increasingly being pursued and promoted by both medical and non-medical providers.

This practice is not limited to aging. Start young, introduce it into schools and engage individuals and children as early as possible so they develop lifelong sustainable skills and practices. This will become part of daily life rather than a chore.

Q: What kind of exercise is most important?

Q: Take frequent walks and be active. 150 minutes of activity per week, divided by 5 days of moderate intensity activity, is truly recommended. In addition to this, one should consider not only aerobic activities but also resistance activities. Maintaining muscle mass and muscle strength becomes even more important as you age because we know that as you age, you lose the ability to maintain these abilities.

Q: Why are social connections so important?

A: The importance of social connectedness in the aging process is often overlooked, under-researched, and undervalued. One of the challenges our country faces is that many of us are dispersed. This is less common in other countries, where residents are not spread out or family members live next door or in the same neighborhood.

It's common for patients I meet to have children who live on opposite sides of the country, or who may have friends who live on opposite sides of the country.

Social networking really helps to have stimulating conversations. It gives people a sense of self, happiness, purpose, and the ability to share stories and community. It's fun. It helps people's mental health. We know that depression is a risk for older adults and can be truly challenging.

Q: What about the older people reading this? Do these suggestions still apply?

A: Healthy aging can happen at any stage of life. It doesn’t just happen in youth or middle age, and it doesn’t just happen in retirement age. It can still occur in one's 80s and 90s.

The definition of healthy aging can vary, and the key is to ask yourself what does it mean to you? What is important to you at this stage of your life? How can we achieve what's important to you and then develop plans and strategies to help our patients achieve those goals? That's key, it shouldn't be a top-down approach. It really involves engaging the patient, figuring out deep down what's important to them, and helping them, providing them with strategies to help them achieve what's important to them. It comes from within.