As you reach the big 6-0, it’s time to start reevaluating habits that might be doing you much more harm than good. For example, your digestive prowess is much better in your 20s and 30s than in your 60s, so it might be time to start rethinking your diet and physical exercise. Some might be hard to shake off, but if you want to live a longer, healthier life, it’s best to start avoiding the top 20 things you need to stop doing when you reach age 60!
Indulging in Poor Diet Choices
As we age, our bodies lose more and more of their ability to absorb what we need and filter out what we don’t need. Because of this, people over 60 must be extra mindful of what and how much they consume. Additionally, with age comes a higher risk for chronic diseases, such as mental health issues, some cancers, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
Eating Too Much Sushi or Raw Fish
Sushi is generally safe to eat, but remember, too much of anything can be harmful. This is because when you eat too much raw fish or partially cooked seafood, there’s a higher chance that you’ll get exposed to bacteria and parasites. Community Homecare explains, “While seniors can safely enjoy consuming cooked sushi varieties, such as those that use smoked salmon or cooked shrimp, for example, it is generally wise for seniors to avoid eating raw—sashimi—varieties as these may harbor dangerous bacteria that can make seniors very ill.”
Avoiding an Active Lifestyle
Regular exercise benefits people of all ages, especially those over 60. A blend of aerobic exercise, strength and resistance training, and stretching or flexibility exercises is usually recommended for this age group. By maintaining an active lifestyle even when one’s in their 60s, one can prevent or delay bone loss, relieve osteoarthritis pain, prevent chronic diseases, boost immunity, and even improve overall mood.
Neglecting Sleep
Getting enough sleep is paramount to staying healthy, even in one’s 60s. In fact, it’s believed that older adults who have sleep problems display deficits in daytime function. This includes raised levels of fatigue, low moods, and depressive symptoms.
Smoking
Smoking is a vice that slowly destroys one’s life, no matter the age. The National Institute on Aging explains that quitting smoking at any time can immediately improve your health. You’ll add more years to your life, breathe more freely, have more energy to be active, and even reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, lung disease, and cataracts!
Drinking Too Much
Similar to smoking, drinking is another vice that’s detrimental to one’s body. Drinking too much, after all, can lead to some forms of cancer, immune system disorders, brain damage, and liver damage. Alcohol can also worsen some existing health conditions in older adults, such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
Opting out of Vaccinations
Humans get most of their immune protection when they are kids or babies. However, it doesn’t mean we should start opting out of vaccines or vaccine boosters as we age. After all, as people age, their immune systems aren’t as effective in combating serious illnesses that may lead to death. People over 60 should consider getting vaccines or booster shots for tetanus, diphtheria, influenza, whooping cough, shingles, pneumococcal disease, and even COVID-19.
Getting Out of Bed in a Rush
Jumping out of bed or getting up in a rush can cause morning dizziness, which can be particularly bad for older people or those with vertigo. The dizziness or disorientation you feel when you get up in a rush can persist throughout the day, and you may experience multiple episodes of lightheadedness or faintness. For this reason, older adults must be extra mindful of how they start their morning routine.
Lifting Weights That Are Too Heavy
Strength training is one exercise recommended for older adults. Though they can still lift weights, they should be cautious of how much weight they are actually lifting. Pushing oneself too hard, especially if they’re over 50 or 60, can do more harm than good. UT Southwestern Medical Center shares, “Research shows that doing more repetitions with light weights is more effective at building muscle and reducing fat than lifting heavy weights with fewer reps,” and they recommend people over 60 should start with 2 to 5-pound weights only.
Trying to Please Everyone
Being a people pleaser in your 60s is not doing anyone any good. However, the one who’s at the biggest disadvantage is yourself. At this point in life, focus on yourself and prioritize yourself! People pleasing can develop early, but it doesn’t mean you must be stuck with it for the rest of your life.
Skipping Health Screenings and Checkups
No matter how much you take care of yourself when you’re younger, it’s a sad fact that you’ll still need more checkups, especially when you get older. This is because no matter how healthy you are as a person, those who are over 60 have lower immunity than those who are younger, and they’re also at a higher risk of developing certain diseases. Because of this, it’s recommended that people over 60 get colorectal cancer screening, prostate cancer screening, breast exams, and mammograms. They should also get eye, hearing, blood pressure, cholesterol, and bone density tests done.
Excessively Supporting and Enabling Your Adult Children
It’s normal for parents to worry about their kids. However, excessive support that leads to enabling makes it harder for adult children to become more independent and self-reliant. A study from Bankrate shows that “68% of parents of adult children have made or are currently making a financial sacrifice to help their kids financially. Parents say they sacrificed retirement savings, emergency savings, paying down their own debt, or reaching a financial milestone.”
Taking Safety Measures for Granted
It’s no secret that as one gets older, their ability to recuperate reduces. This is why people over 60 need to be extra mindful of safety measures and precautions. For example, as one walks around the mall, they may see signs of slippery floors or sudden steps; people over 60 shouldn’t walk by these things blindly. Instead, they must pay close attention to their surroundings because if they slip and fall, there’s a higher chance that they won’t recover fully, given their age.
Being Too Critical of Yourself
Self-criticism is one of the ways people lead themselves toward the dark road of depression. After all, self-critical thoughts would only reinforce negative beliefs about oneself, amplifying negative emotions such as hopelessness, despair, and sadness. No one would benefit from self-criticism, but people over 60 should be extra vigilant to veer away from these negativities because they face an increased risk of experiencing depression.
Overlooking Your Mental Health
Mental health issues are common among all age groups. However, there are, unfortunately, many things associated with aging that may lead to higher chances of developing depression and anxiety. For example, retirement can bring about a loss of one’s sense of purpose, which can lead to depression. On the flip side, if people over 60 continue working, they may be subjected to even more causes for stress and worry, eventually pushing them toward anxiety and other mental health issues.
Resisting and Turning Your Back on Technology
No matter how much one tries to refuse technology, one will never be able to escape from it. After all, we’re only moving forward and never backward; this means that what people were used to doing before, especially if it was inconvenient, will never be a thing of today.
Avoiding Social Connections and Interactions
If you want to maintain your health, social interaction is key, and people over 60 need to be extra mindful of this to avoid the risk of social isolation. According to the National Institute on Aging, “Research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions: high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and even death.”
Taking Time for Granted
Time is a finite resource. And, as we age, it becomes increasingly important to recognize that it should never be taken for granted. No one knows how much time we still have left to live, so we must make the most out of every second!
Traveling on Your Own
Traveling gives people a lot of benefits, and you’re never “too old” to travel. After all, it motivates people to stay physically healthy, release stress, and explore new things. However, traveling can get dangerous and risky, especially when you’re a senior citizen traveling alone. Apart from risking overexertion, there’s also a possibility that one would face an emergency situation, which could be pretty hard to navigate alone in your 60s.
Fearing What Will Happen Next
We all experience change—from the moment we take our first breath to the end of our lives. However, some senior citizens are terrified of change or what will happen next, perhaps because they are becoming increasingly aware that getting older means facing inevitable decline. They fear a time of poor health, loneliness, solitude, and the loss of the ability to do the things they once enjoyed. However, if one gets too caught up in fear, they’ll trap themselves in a dark and bleak state of mind.