When it comes to different people and different circumstances, healthy aging does not always look the same. Healthy aging can look vastly different with each person that you see. For some healthy aging means more if the person involved maintains their strong mental state. For these people they place having a strong mind over having a strong body. It means more to them to be able to be capable of thinking, processing, and be able to have strong understanding of the world around them. For others, they value the physical aspect more. These people believe that it is much more beneficially have good physical health, they value staying fit and believe keeping in shape is the most important thing. The meaning of healthy aging truly depends on the way the person views it. Personally, I believe healthy aging is having a combination of both physical and mental strength. It is important to be both physically active and mentally active as well, it is natural for both to slow decline as you age but it is also important that you work to keep the processes from accelerating. Healthy aging is more than just walking, running, and staying physically active. It is being able to do the things you enjoy as well as enjoying the time that you spend with the people that you love. For me this is the most important. Being able to spend time with the people I love, at an older age, and still enjoy it is what is most important. At the end of the day healthy aging means different things to everyone, but the things that will not change is having a healthy mind and body. Having a good mindset as well as a strong outlook on life can change everything. It is up to you to be healthy and as long as you can continue to do the things you love and be around the people you love, I think you are off to a pretty good head start.
Sierra Gray
Conversations on Healthy Aging 