Pfizer Inc.
09/23/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/23/2025 11:38
Five Steps to Embrace Healthy AgingGuidanceWellness • • •
What does healthy aging look like to you? Would you be surprised if it looked like lifting weights at the gym, or starting a book club with friends, or, perhaps, learning a new language?
Older adults are defying stereotypes and redefining the aging process, discovering how much healthy habits can empower active lifestyles. For Healthy Aging Month, we'd like to share five evidence-backed habits that can keep older adults healthy - physically, cognitively, and emotionally.
1. Get Social
Social interactions play a big role in our level of satisfaction throughout our lives, but especially so as we age. One study showed that older adults who have active social lives, including both in-person encounters as well as phone calls and texting, experience higher levels of life satisfaction.1 Meanwhile, older adults who are socially isolated or lonely face health risks that are on par with smoking or obesity. Chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease and depression, are higher among older adults who are socially disconnected.2 The company of others is a powerful medicine.
Volunteering is one effective way to enjoy social relationships, as well as to create a sense of meaning and purpose. Other ways to improve social health include calls or texts with others, classes at a local library, or a walking club.3
2. Exercise regularly
Older adults are no exception to the rule: Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and at least two days of strength training activities each week. These activities don't have to be intense workouts, however. You just need to get your heart beating a bit faster and your muscles working a little harder. Even some of the regular activities on your to-do list, such as dog walking and yardwork, count toward this goal.
The strength and stamina you'll gain from these exercises will help you long after your workout. They'll make daily living a bit easier, whether you're carrying grocery bags or cleaning your home. And, very importantly, gaining strength decreases your risk of injury due to a fall.4
3. Eat a balanced diet
Older adults have higher risks for certain health conditions - such as osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancer - so a balanced, nutritious diet is especially important.5
Be sure to include enough protein in your diet, which will help you maintain muscle mass. For people who are age 71 and higher, about half of women and nearly a third of men fall short of protein guidelines. You can increase your protein intake with seafood, meat, beans, eggs, seeds, and soy products.5
Another important nutrient for older adults is Vitamin B12, which supports healthy nerves and blood, while also reducing the risk of anemia. To include B12 in your diet, choose high-protein foods and fortified breakfast cereals.6
4. Keep up with regular check-ups
Maintain regular appointments with your health team. You should visit your healthcare provider at least once a year for a check-up, and possibly more frequently if you have health conditions to manage. This allows you to reduce your risk of chronic conditions or disease, and possibly to begin treating a condition before symptoms even develop. Treating conditions early, from cancer to cardiovascular disease, means treating them most effectively.7
Vaccines are also important for older adults. Older adults typically are typically recommended vaccines for COVID-19, flu, RSV, shingles, and pneumococcal, among others; talk to your healthcare provider to learn which vaccines you may need.8
5. Stay curious
It's not just your feet you should be exercising; exercising one's mind is also crucial for healthy aging. Learning new skills can have positive effects on one's cognitive health, including memory and reasoning abilities.9 The longer one pursues a skill, the greater the positive effect it has: One study showed that older adults who engaged in a hobby at least one hour per day had a lower risk for dementia than those who only did so for 30 minutes a day.10
Actively pursuing these activities brings a physical health impact as well. Older adults who engage in mentally stimulating activities with others may lower their risk for dementia, heart disease, stroke, depression, and even cancer.11 Staying engaged and staying connected are powerful steps to keeping your mind and body strong as you age.
[1] Park JH, Kang SW. Social Interaction and Life Satisfaction among Older Adults by Age Group. Healthcare (Basel). 2023;11(22):2951. Published 2023 Nov 12. doi:10.3390/healthcare11222951
[2] Simionato J, Vally H, Archibald D. Circumstances that promote social connectedness in older adults participating in intergenerational programmes with adolescents: a realist review. BMJ Open. 2023;13(10):e069765. Published 2023 Oct 17. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069765
[3] Loneliness and Social Isolation - Tips for Staying Connected. National Institutes of Health: National Institute on Aging. July 11, 2024. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/loneliness-and-social-isolation/loneliness-and-social-isolation-tips-staying-connected
[4] Walk. Run. Dance. Play. What's Your Move? U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://odphp.health.gov/moveyourway
[5] Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. December 2020. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2021-03/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans-2020-2025.pdf
[6] Vitamin B12 Fact Sheet for Consumers. National Institutes of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements. December 15, 2023. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer
[7] What Do We Know About Healthy Aging? National Institutes of Health: National Institute on Aging. February 23, 2022. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/healthy-aging/what-do-we-know-about-healthy-aging
[8] Recommended Vaccinations for Adults. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July 1, 2025. Accessed September 16, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-schedules/adult-easyread.html
[9] Park DC, Lodi-Smith J, Drew L, et al. The impact of sustained engagement on cognitive function in older adults: the Synapse Project. Psychol Sci. 2014;25(1):103-112. doi:10.1177/0956797613499592
[10] Hughes TF, Chang CC, Vander Bilt J, Ganguli M. Engagement in reading and hobbies and risk of incident dementia: the MoVIES project. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2010 Aug;25(5):432-8. doi: 10.1177/1533317510368399. PMID: 20660517; PMCID: PMC2911991.
[11] Participating in Activities You Enjoy As You Age. National Institutes of Health: National Institute on Aging. March 28, 2022. Accessed September 16, 2025.
Pfizer Inc. published this content on September 23, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 23, 2025 at 17:55 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]