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Aging cannot be prevented but it can be accepted gracefully by developing a healthy normal attitude and expectation. Age is just a number and women can choose to stay fit and healthy longer.

Age is just a number, and agelessness means not buying into the idea that a number determines everything from your state of health, to your attractiveness and to your value. Being healthy is a state of mind as much as the physical requirement. There are a lot of physiological changes in the body of a woman with the growing years. We take this opportunity to discuss the implications of these changes and the choices women have today to keep in charge of their fitness and well-being.

The average lifespan of a woman has been increasing

Life expectancy for women is 73.70 years in urban centers and 69 in rural areas while the comparative figures for men is 71.20 years and 66.40 years, respectively, as per the SRS report released by the Registrar General of India in 2019. The average lifespan of a woman has been increasing over the years. Average age of menopause of an Indian woman is 46.2 years much less than their Western counter parts (51 years). The years prior to menopause that encompass the change from normal ovulatory cycles to cessation of menses are called perimenopausal transition years and can last for 2 to 8 years.

Aging is associated with changes in dynamic biological, physiological, environmental, psychological, behavioral, and social processes. In addition to this, in women there is a complex interplay of hormones during this stage which has an effect on cardiovascular, bone, sexual and mental health. Aging cannot be prevented but it can be accepted gracefully by developing a healthy normal attitude and expectation.

The importance of lifestyle changes and discipline cannot be stressed enough for overall well-being. Women who smoke 1 to 4 cigarettes per day have a 2.5 fold increased risk of fatal coronary heart disease. In comparison with women who stay at a healthy weight, endometrial cancer is twice as common in overweight women (BMI 25 to 29.9), and more than 3 times as common in obese women (BMI > 30).A low cholesterol diet, no smoking, optimal body weight and active exercise are key to health and fitness.

Here are some tips to help you age well:

Avoid tobacco in all its forms.
Eat properly. Reduce your consumption of saturated fat, trans fatty acidsand cholesterol. The omega-3s and monounsaturated fats in fish, nuts, olive oil, and possibly canola oil are desirable in moderation. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nonfat dairy products. Favor complex carbohydrates and high-fiber foods, but reduce your consumption of simple sugars. Get about 15% of your calories from protein. Cut back on salt and processed foods. Keep your caloric consumption down and stay as lean as possible.
Consider simple supplements such as a daily multivitamin and calcium.
If you choose to drink, be responsible and limit yourself to two drinks a day.
A proper exercise program can increase cardiovascular fitness and aerobic capacity.

Keep your mind active and stimulated. Mental exercise is an important complement to physical exercise.
Build strong social networks. People are good medicine at any age.
Get regular medical care.
Adequate sleep can keep mind relaxed.
A balanced program is best. That’s why Cicero proclaimed, “Exercise and temperance will preserve something of our youthful vigor, even into old age.”

Regular health checks and screening should be mandatory:

It is also very important to have regular health checks and screening. The most important contribution a clinician can provide to the perimenopausal woman is the education she needs and desires to make therapeutic choices. It is very common for women to adjust with the changes rather than focusing on quality of life. Modern medicine provides a lot of opportunities for women with the difficulties during the transition period for instance hot flushes or dyspareunia or involuntary leakage of urine. It is important for women to know about the choices available and to seek help.

Regular health checks and screening should be mandatory after a certain age. Preventive intervention during the perimenopausal years has 3 major goals. The overall objective is to prolong the period of maximal energy and optimal mental and social activity. A specific goal is to detect as early as possible any of the major chronic diseases including hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, mellitus and cancer as well as impairments of hearing, vision and teeth. Finally the clinician can help perimenopausal women to smoothly traverse the menopausal period of life.

Aging is inevitable, but it has an undeservedly fearsome reputation. No one can stop the clock, but most can slow its tick and enjoy life as they age with grace and vigor. Regular exercise, along with a good diet, good medical care, good genes, and a bit of luck, can make it happen. Live long live healthy and happy!