If you’re aging—and every single one of us is—adopting even small new habits can have a profound impact on your current and future well-being. That’s true whether you’re 25 or 75.
“Thinking about your trajectory of aging and how you can influence it, starting as early as possible, can make a difference in your year ahead regardless of your age,” says Nathan LeBrasseur, director of Mayo Clinic’s Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging. Yes, your genes matter, “but for the majority of us, genetics will explain about 20% of our aging.”
That means the choices you make in a handful of key arenas—namely physical activity, nutrition, sleep, and social connection—can alter whether you’re thriving or merely surviving as you get older. As you think about what kind of resolutions you want to set for better aging, prioritize those that are both specific and measurable, LeBrasseur advises. (Simply pledging to “be healthier” won’t get you very far.) It’s also smart to ease in, rather than expecting yourself to transform your daily routine overnight. LeBrasseur likes applying this framework: “I’m going to do X, Y, or Z three days a week for 30 minutes.” “It’s much easier to build on success than setbacks,” he says. “You can go, ‘Hey, I had a really good week this week. I made it to the gym three days.’ As opposed to, ‘I went so hard, I can’t imagine going back.’”
We asked experts which New Year’s resolutions they recommend setting for more successful aging—and why.