Health, fitness, and safety are always on our minds. At least they are on my mind and the minds of the editors of all the publications I receive. I’m sure some of these suggestions are familiar, but others may be new to you. No one can implement every one of these tips, of course, but they are all worth your consideration if staying healthy, fit, and safe is what you hope to do. What follows is an amalgamation of advice from AARP Magazine and Bulletin, Parade.com, Philips Lifeline, and How to Age with Grace. In assembling these ideas, I realized they would create the world’s longest blog post, so I have divided them up into a series. You might want to print these four posts out to keep for future reference. You never know when an idea may be exactly what you need at that moment.

Part 1. Protecting Your Physical Health

• Covid isn’t over. While the numbers of cases and deaths change every day, there are some things we know. Getting vaccinated and, if necessary, getting a booster shot is absolutely necessary to protect you from getting seriously ill and dying. Sad to say, close to 100 percent of Covid deaths are among the unvaccinated.
• Wear a mask indoors and when you’re around other people. That protects everyone.
• Take care of yourself. Self-care includes doing whatever you can to minimize your stress and stay positive.
• Compulsively watching the news is not the best way to stay positive. While we do need to stay informed, the twenty-four/seven news cycle is toxic. Nobody needs that much detailed information.
• No matter what you’re doing, set a timer to remind you to stand, stretch, and move at least once an hour.
• If you’re having trouble falling or staying asleep, rather than tossing and turning, seek help from a sleep specialist to rule out underlying problems.
• Your waist is the best way to flag health risks. Men should have waists under forty inches; women should not go above thirty-five inches.
• Turn off all electronics thirty to forty-five minutes before bed.
• Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables.
• Your blood pressure should be below 120/80.
• If you sit all day, try to cut one or two minutes of regular sitting time every hour.
• The more weight you gain in your later years, the higher your risk of death from any cause, especially if you gain more than twenty pounds.
• Want a healthier gut microbiome? (All the microbes in your intestines, which act as another organ crucial to your health) Eat at least thirty different plants a week.
• To increase longevity and decrease the risk of disease, eat fewer calories. Start by eliminating junk food and focusing on nutrient-rich foods.
• Start the day with some quality protein to prevent age-related muscle loss.
• If you can get to a doctor for an in-person checkup, do so. If that’s not possible, ask your physician if he or she will do a virtual appointment with you.
• Dentists and eye-doctor appointments do have to be in person. It’s a good idea to ask if the staff is vaccinated and wears masks. If the answer is no; then, you must decide what you want to do about keeping the appointment.
• Stay current on refilling your medications if you take any. Sometimes, it can feel like a full-time job to keep track of every prescription, when it needs to be refilled, and how you are going to get it. Rather than think of this as a bothersome chore, consider it exercise for your brain.
• Investigate all the discount cards available to save you money on medications, e.g., Blink, GoodRx, SingleCare, and WellRx. Deciding which one to use with which drug will also challenge your brain. Be sure to have all these cards on file with your pharmacy.