Useful Tips for Biohacking Your Health When You’re Over 60

Many people are under the mistaken impression that life ends at retirement, and that things go quickly downhill by the time you qualify for AARP membership. But these days, 60 is the new 40. People can thrive well into their golden years—running businesses, enjoying fulfilling social lives, and even completing Ironman triathlons into their 80s and 90s. The key to thriving after 60 is to be proactive about your health. Develop healthy habits, embrace an active lifestyle, and maintain a youthful attitude.

Fortunately, it’s never too late to get started living your best life after 60. When your later years are approached with intention, positivity, consciousness, and a handful of biohacking strategies, you’re giving yourself the best possible chance of living longer with a better quality of life. Rather than spending the rest of your life dealing with health problems and immobility, you can help yourself thrive instead of merely survive.

Maintain Muscle Through Exercise and Protein Intake

As people get older, they tend to lose muscle—both due to lifestyle changes and the natural process of aging. However, muscle tone is important for a variety of reasons, including strength, mobility, healthy weight, and metabolism. While it is still important to engage in cardiovascular exercise as a senior, it is equally important to focus on weightlifting or some other form of anaerobic exercise that builds and maintains muscle.

It is also essential to get enough protein to support muscle growth and repair after workouts. High-intensity interval training is also a great way to keep the body young, as it provides both cardio and strength benefits and shocks the system into action on a variety of levels, including supporting cellular and metabolic function.

Focus on Flexibility and Balance

In addition to strength training and cardio, it’s important to integrate stretching and balance exercises into your weekly health regimen, particularly as you get older. Flexibility is important for keeping the muscles limber and well-functioning, and balance training can help prevent falls, which can be dangerous in old age. Yoga is a popular, easy way to improve both flexibility and balance, as is tai chi and other gentle martial arts. However, you don’t have to do anything fancy to stay fit. Simply walking and doing a handful of stretches and simple balance exercises each day can make a difference.

Eat Less Processed Food and Red Meat

Scientists have identified several foods that contribute to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and general cellular aging. Two of the most obvious are ultra-processed foods and red meat—though in the case of red meat, limited consumption can provide essential nutrients like iron and zinc. Ultra-processed foods include things like frozen meals, packaged snacks, and processed meats like chicken nuggets and hot dogs. They’re usually high in calories, sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, and multiple additives like preservatives and artificial flavors. Avoiding ultra-processed foods and focusing on whole foods can help you get enough essential nutrients from your diet, maintain a healthy weight, and reduce your risk of chronic disease.

Try Intermittent Fasting

The benefits of intermittent fasting have been well-documented across virtually all age groups, and they are certainly helpful for adults over 60. Intermittent fasting can help people maintain a healthy weight—one of the biggest factors in preventing premature physical aging and avoiding diabetes. In addition, it can also help reduce LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels and other lipid markers, as well as promote better verbal memory and heart health.

Eat to Reduce Inflammation and Oxidation

Inflammation and oxidation are two of the biggest culprits causing cellular aging, so it is important for anyone, especially the over-60 crowd, to adopt a lifestyle that reduces inflammation. This includes avoiding smoking, reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption, and increasing consumption of anti-inflammatory substances such as omega-3 fatty acids and curcumin. Omega-3s are found in fatty fish like salmon and tuna as well as in flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts; curcumin is a chemical compound in the spice turmeric. Other foods and beverages that have antioxidants include berries, green leafy vegetables, and green tea. 

Prioritize Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important factors in delaying the aging process—and in living a healthy lifestyle in general. A study in Biological Psychiatry found that lack of sleep can contribute to the development of inflammatory markers associated with heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. In fact, those who sleep less than five hours per night have a heart age that is 5.1 years greater than their real age, on average. Seniors should aim for seven to eight hours of sleep per night.

If you’re struggling to sleep that long, it can be helpful to increase your daily exercise, shift your exercise to the morning, avoid caffeine after noon, and focus on sleep hygiene. Make sure your bedroom is dark and cool, and that you have a comfortable mattress. Instead of scrolling on your phone before bed, read a book or magazine; the blue light emitted by electronics like smartphones, tablets, and TVs can disrupt your sleep. Don’t hesitate to talk to your doctor if you’re still experiencing poor sleep—many older adults have medical conditions like obstructive sleep apnea that prevent them from getting restful sleep. 

Focus on Brain Health

It is just as important to prioritize brain health as you age as it is to focus on physical health, especially if you have a family history of dementia. Particularly after retirement, people tend to lose focus and drive and find that their thinking can become cloudy and stagnant. To keep the mind active, it can be a good idea to regularly play brain games like puzzles, crosswords, and sudoku, and to learn new skills like hobbies and languages.

Cultivate Relationships

Emotional health is vital for well-being as you age, and one of the best ways to cultivate emotional health is to remain connected to the people you love. Connection and community also help keep the brain healthy. Many people become isolated after retirement—without work, there’s no automatic place to go every day to socialize, be part of a team, or simply be around other people. Others become lonely after losing a partner, developing mobility problems, or retiring in a new town without close connections.

A strong support network of family, friends, and acquaintances provides several health benefits, which is why you should cherish and prioritize these relationships as you grow older. Join a gym, find clubs or groups based around your hobbies, or take a class to meet new friends and pick up a new skill. Volunteering is another great way to cultivate relationships and build structure and purpose into your life after 60. Other older adults enjoy having a lower-stress, part-time job that allows them to socialize while getting paid for doing something they enjoy.

Age Well

It’s impossible to avoid all health complications as you age, but there are so many ways to biohack your health and live a long, happy, active life into your 70s, 80s, 90s—and even beyond. Set yourself up for success by adopting a healthy lifestyle and you’ll see the benefits.