62-year-old Fei Xiang has a lot of muscle! If you want to be healthy when you are old, do these three things!

"It's really impressive to be in good health at 62, especially to have so much muscle."

"This is the childhood idol of our generation. He is always in great shape!"

"He's still so handsome at his age!"

…

Recently, the 62-year-old singer and actor Fei Xiang has attracted everyone's attention for his muscular body. It is understood that Fei Xiang's recent movie "The First Part of the Gods" has made netizens sigh that "age is not a problem, a healthy body is the most important thing."

In many people's impressions, people have already entered the ranks of "elderly" at the age of 60. Many people have similar feelings: "I can still work hard in my 50s, but I can't do it after 60." If you want to stay healthy after 60, you must do the following 3 things.

3 things you need to stay in good shape at 60

“The human body is constantly wearing out. Around the age of 60, the body’s functions change dramatically. After 70, it stabilizes, and after 80, it enters an unstable period.” [1]

It can be said that the period before the age of 60 is a process of "quantitative change". If you do not take good care of your health, your body may undergo a "qualitative" change after the age of 60. If you do a good job of daily maintenance, it will also be effective in delaying aging.

1

Exercise is necessary after 60 years old. Muscle and bone mass are the key to anti-aging.

After age 60, the body's metabolic rate slows down, and muscle strength and bone density decrease, so moderate exercise becomes particularly important.

Many people think that they should avoid exercise as much as possible when they are older, and "stay still to maintain health". But in fact, for the elderly, sitting or lying still for a long time poses greater health risks, and exercise is the best way to maintain the body's functions.

Exercise can maintain muscle strength and bone mass; in addition, maintaining a certain amount of activity can ensure good cardiopulmonary function, promote metabolism and energy consumption, and thus control blood sugar and blood lipids.

Generally, low-intensity, short-term, and repeated exercises are recommended. In general, the elderly should focus on gentle aerobic exercise and appropriate muscle training. Aerobic exercises such as walking, Tai Chi, Ba Duan Jin, simple gymnastics, or swimming can also help improve joint mobility. Some exercises that train hand-brain coordination also have a positive effect on preventing brain degeneration in the elderly. You can also do seated kicks to train the quadriceps muscle strength. [2]

2

It is important to eat well after 60 years old. You must keep up with these 4 nutrients

Adequate nutrition can help strengthen the body, delay aging, prevent disease, and for sick elderly people, it can also help promote physical recovery, improve symptoms and quality of life.

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What nutrients are the elderly prone to lack? The following 4 nutrients are recommended for reasonable supplementation:

Type 1: Protein

Many elderly people do not eat much meat, and in the long run they are prone to protein deficiency. The lack of protein has great consequences: muscle strength will decrease, which will affect bone health, reduce the body's supporting capacity and balance ability, and increase the risk of sarcopenia and falls.

There are many high-quality protein foods in life that are suitable for the elderly, such as fish, shrimp, chicken breast, soybeans, milk, eggs, etc. The elderly should not be too cautious, as fish and eggs are not absolutely irritating foods and should not be avoided at all.

Type 2: Calcium

I believe that many elderly people know how to supplement, but the body may not absorb it well, and they keep supplementing but still lack it. It is recommended to drink milk regularly, eat more green leafy vegetables, drink less thick broth, and get some sun exposure to promote its absorption.

If the nutrients in food cannot meet the body’s needs, you can use nutritional supplements scientifically and rationally under the guidance of a doctor, and do not take supplements on your own. [3]

No. 3: Iron

You can eat some lean meat such as lean beef, lean pork, and blood products such as duck blood.

No. 4: Vitamins

Especially B vitamins, such as B9 (folic acid) and B12. B9 is necessary for some people with high blood pressure to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, many elderly people often have trouble sleeping, which is related to the nervous system, and B12 is useful for maintaining its health. You can often eat vegetables, fruits, mushrooms and soy products.

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3

A good attitude is very important after the age of 60. Good health and good attitude are the best.

The book “Emotional Revolution” says that “emotional illness is more terrible than physical illness.” A study published in the journal Aging in 2022 showed that negative emotions such as loneliness, fear, and depression have a significant accelerating effect on aging, which can make the biological age increase by nearly 20 months, which is more harmful than smoking. [4]

The most important thing in health preservation is to nourish the heart. When you are in a good mood, you will enjoy your meals and sleep well. You will be willing to move, have better spirits, and look younger and healthier.

Even if they are sick, some diseases can be completely cured with current medical technology, or they can be maintained at a normal level after proper medication. In the face of some common aging symptoms and diseases, the mentality of the elderly themselves is particularly important.

References

[1] 2011-09-29 Health Times: “Major overhaul required before and after retirement”

[2] 2022-08-09 Yangcheng Evening News “Should the elderly rest or exercise more?”

[3] 2022-10-26 People's Daily Health Client "Gastroenterology Doctor" "After 60, nutrition is more important than exercise, 4 types of nutrition must be kept up"

[4] Fedor Galkin et al, Psychological factors substantially contribute to biological aging: evidence from the aging rate in Chinese older adults, Aging (2022). DOI: 10.18632/aging.204264

Planning and production

Source: Health Times

Review | Tang Qin, Chief Researcher, Science Popularization Department, Chinese Medical Association

Editor｜Yang Yaping