65+? Stop Doing These 5 Things Before They Stop You.

The majority of people learn this the hard way. You won’t. Here are 5 things to stop doing before they stop you:

1. Self-Management of Your Medications.

Your body metabolizes drugs 50% slower after 65. That “harmless” over-the-counter ibuprofen is slowly killing your kidneys. Adverse drug reactions are the 4th leading cause of death among older adults. Not the disease. The medicine.

2. Sitting After 90 Minutes.

The Mayo Clinic named sitting an independent risk factor for death. That means if you’re physically active, sitting still kills you anyway. Stand up after 90 minutes. Your couch is a lovely, plush prison.

3. Eating like you’re still 45.

Your taste buds are dying off, and that’s why you’re adding more salt to food. But 70% of seniors are unwittingly consuming a dangerous amount of sodium. Worst of all, the food actually does taste bland. Use herbs and citrus. Your heart will reward the gesture silently.

4. Enduring loneliness silently.

A Harvard study of 85-year-olds revealed that loneliness does to a person what smoking 15 cigarettes a day does. One in three people over the age of 65 is lonely but says nothing about it. It’s not a weakness. It’s a medical condition disguised as a mental one.

5. Not doing strength training.

Lifting light weights twice a week is associated with a 46% lower risk of death from any cause. Not walking. Not stretching. Lifting. Your muscles are your life insurance after the age of 65. Stop letting them lapse.

The body keeps track of all scores. At 65, it starts announcing them aloud.