The Role of Lifestyle Medicine in Shaping and Supporting Successful Aging.
TL;DR
This new approach to exploring the linkages between the principles of lifestyle medicine and the essential components of successful aging highlights how proactive behavioral health strategies could play a role in fostering optimal aging in cognitive and physical functioning and disease prevention, thereby potentially yielding more positive outcomes for aging well.
Abstract
Background
Within gerontology, various theoretical perspectives on what it means to age successfully have emerged over recent decades (5) and garnered empirical support. Similarly, within medicine and related healthcare fields, research and practice have focused on healthy living in terms of physical health, mental health, and well-being. In recent years, the practice of Lifestyle Medicine (nutrition, physical activity, stress management, restorative sleep, social connection, and avoidance of risky substances) has emerged to describe the role of such lifestyle factors on health.
Methods
The present article proposes a pathway to integrate lifestyle medicine with successful aging. We take a holistic approach to develop a model that merges the foundational pillars of lifestyle medicine with the principles of successful aging.
Conclusions
This new approach to exploring the linkages between the principles of lifestyle medicine and the essential components of successful aging highlights how proactive behavioral health strategies related to nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress, and substances could play a role in fostering optimal aging in cognitive and physical functioning and disease prevention, thereby potentially yielding more positive outcomes for aging well.