We all would like to live a longer, fuller life not having to worry about our health and mobility. We also would like to accomplish this with minimal visits to the doctor and hospital. Nobody looks forward to the day that they can get on their little mobility scooter and go shopping. Nor do any of us look forward to laying in bed and watching the day pass by our window while we are unable to get up and do anything.

Here are some ways you can help your body stand the tests of time.

1. Eat slowly, chew your food and enjoy it. Gulping your food down may save you time regarding how long you will be sitting there, but it won’t help you in any other facet of your life. If you gulp your food down, you will barely have time to taste it, this will leave your mind wanting more flavor and in that wanting, will prompt you to eat even more. Eating slowly will help with digestion, and keep you from overfilling yourself. Your mind doesn’t process near as fast as your stomach can become full. If you are swallowing food as fast as you get it into your mouth, the first thing is, you aren’t breaking it down enough for your digestive process and the second thing is, you aren’t allowing your body and brain to process the fact that you are taking this much food in. As a result, by the time you stop eating, you are over full and reaching to your belt to loosen it, and maybe even unbuttoning and unzipping your pants to give your stomach more room to expand. Speaking of expanding, that is just what your stomach will do, making it take more and more each time to fill it.

2. Have a good sexual life. As your body releases endorphins into your system, it gives you a moment in time where there is no stress, no worries, no concerns, just an unobstructed release. Sex has a natural way of releasing the tension in your body (hence the reason why your husband may fall asleep right after). Sex is also a very good source of exercise it is a mix of cardio exercise and muscle strengthening exercise. As you enjoy sex, your breathing becomes faster, your heart beats faster, your blood gets moving, your muscles get energized and all your senses get heightened. After the moment of release, your body is flooded with endorphins that give you a feeling of elation and relaxation at the same time. Sex also exercises muscles in your body that you generally wouldn’t exercise any other way.

3. Stay active mentally, keeping your mind alert and active will help to keep you from mentally becoming old. The brain is as much a muscle as any other muscle in your body, if you don’t use it, it will become lethargic and ‘old’.

4. Have yourself a glass of red wine. Resveratrol is a compound in red wine and grape juice that has been shown in studies to help slow the aging process. This substance appears to be healthy not only for your heart, but for your bones.

5. There have been studies performed that show people with significant excess weight around their mid section are nearly tripled at risk for dementia as they get older.