Recommendation
Rationale
Notes
Build a social network.
Socially active people live long, have a higher quality of life and are less likely to be depressed.
Find people you enjoy exercising with. Share your wisdom through volunteering. Join a club. Start a quilting or knitting circle.
Exercise daily.
Exercise helps ward off cardiovascular disease, bone loss, depression, weight gain and mental deterioration.
Include cardiovascular, lightweight resistance, stretching and balance workouts. Make it fun.
Stay mentally active.
Mental stimulation helps prevent memory loss and related problems.
Play cards, do crossword and jigsaw puzzles, knit, read or write letters—anything that keeps your mind working.
Quit smoking.
Smoking is destructive to your lungs and heart.
Your local hospital may offer an easily accessible, low-cost quit-smoking program.
Sources: Kathryn Borgenicht, MD, geriatrician, Internal Medicine Associates, Bozeman, Montana; J.E. Brody, "Strong Bones, with and without Drugs," The New York Times, 19 Feb. 2002; Susan Ashford, dietitian, Bozeman Deaconess Hospital.