Keys to Embracing Aging: University of Illinois Extension

Keys to Embracing Aging

What you do today influences your future. Learn how to take care of yourself now to embrace aging and grow gracefully, successfully, and with increased longevity.

March 25 | Positive Attitude

A positive attitude affects overall happiness, health, and well-being. A positive attitude can also help you better manage life's transitions and challenges.

April 1 | Eating Smart

Eating right can help prevent illness and chronic disease while providing you with more energy. Your diet influences cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and more.

April 8 | Physical Activity

Regular exercise is associated with decreased death and disability from diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and cancer. Make exercise a habit.

April 15 | Brain Activity

A healthy brain is crucial to survival, growth, and everyday successes. Similar to the rest of the body, the brain needs exercise and maintenance to optimize and protect its current and future health. In particular, the brain needs socialization, mental stimulation, physical activity, nutrition, and sleep.

April 22 | Social Activity

Engaged people are often healthier, happier, less depressed, and demonstrate enhanced brain vitality. Social activity also improves academic performance, inspires a positive attitude, enhances self-esteem, connects you to family and peers, and reduces the risk of illnesses and disease.

April 29 | Tuning in to the Times

Staying in tune with the times throughout life promotes lifelong learning, which increases knowledge, problem-solving skills, and decision-making.

September 2 | Safety

Practicing home, transportation, health, recreation, and emergency safety is important because it helps keep you out of harm’s way.

September 9 | Know Your Numbers

Certain health numbers can save and extend your life. These numbers are associated with cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, blood sugar, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference. A lifestyle including regular visits to a health-care provider, proper nutrition, and physical activity promote these numbers and contribute to healthy aging throughout the lifespan.

September 16 | Stress Management

Appropriate stress is healthy and useful, but when stress overwhelms you, it can become distress, causing anxiety, tension, irritability, and a number of health problems. Learning what causes stress and how to manage it in positive ways helps you cope and live a more balanced, healthy life.

September 23 | Financial Affairs

Good financial management is important whether you earn minimum wage or are a millionaire. With money management and spending plans in place, you are more likely to meet your financial goals.

September 30 | Sleep

Sleep has a major impact on overall health and quality of life, including the way you look, feel, and perform on a daily basis. Your bodies need sleep to repair muscles, consolidate memories, and regulate hormones and appetite. When you sleep well, you wake up feeling refreshed and alert for daily activities. Sleep prepares you to concentrate, make decisions, and fully engage in school, work, and social activities.

October 7 | Taking Time for You

In today’s busy world, you juggle multiple priorities and responsibilities and likely make time for others before making time for yourself. But you are important too. Taking time for you is to take care of you, which makes you a better family member, friend, co-worker, caregiver, or leader. Even if it is just for 10 minutes a day, a time out is good for your mind, body, and soul.

Thank you to...

University of Arkansas, University of Kentucky, and Kansas State University for sharing the Keys to Embracing Aging curriculum with Illinois Extension!