Now that autumn is peeking playfully over the horizon, we want to help you feel your best for the season ahead.

It’s a time of falling leaves, crisp air, and beautiful horizons – but it’s also a time when colds are rife and flu can come a-knocking. So, if you’re keen to enjoy everything the season has to offer, follow our 7 health habits to keep you fighting fit this autumn.

1. Daily exercise

Exercising a little every day really does have the potential to improve your quality of life, and help you retain your independence for longer. Daily movement can lower your risk of developing everything from heart disease to dementia, while boosting your balance, flexibility and strength. Exercise is also great for your mental health and wellbeing – and it can be as low impact (and fun) as you’d like it to be! Find the best kind of exercise for you.

2. Good nutrition

If we are what we eat, we’d better be putting all things good into our bodies. That doesn’t mean never treating yourself to a little bit of what you fancy (we know that does you good), but don’t neglect the important things in favour of treats alone. Drinking plenty of water and getting the right vitamins and minerals through fruits, vegetables, fibre and proteins can make an enormous difference to your energy levels. Find out more about the difference a good diet can make.

3. A restful night’s sleep

Sleep is simply wonderful for wellbeing: it allows our bodies to heal, reduces stress hormones, lowers blood pressure, brings down inflammation, and helps to improve memory. But sleep patterns can become disrupted as we age – which is more than a little frustrating. Getting into a bedtime routine each night (such as bathing, having a cuppa, then reading in bed) increases our chances of sleeping soundly. Read our ten top tips for achieving a better night’s sleep.

4. An active brain

Keeping your mind active is crucial for helping to slow cognitive decline. We know that genetics has a big part to play, but there are plenty of activities that can improve your brain health and keep your mind sharp – from puzzles and reading, to writing and problem-solving. Some of the best activities for your brain are jigsaw puzzles, Sudoku, brain games, chess, poker, listening to (and playing) music, and learning a new language.

5. Being social

Whether you’ve been a social butterfly all your life, or always preferred your own company, socialising is one of the best ways to keep your health in older age. That’s one of the things that makes communal living at Abbeyfield so great – it makes building a sense of community much easier. Whether you choose to join groups, take up a new hobby that includes other people, or arrange regular coffee dates, lessening loneliness will have a huge impact on your health.

6. Practising mindfulness

If you really want to boost your mental health and improve your overall wellbeing, practising mindfulness (and gratitude) can help to get you there. Mindfulness encourages us to live in the moment, reduces anxiety, eases symptoms of depression, gives us a sense of calm, and connects us with ourselves. Practising gratitude (ever heard of keeping a gratitude journal?) can also help us to feel more positive about life.

7. Learn something new

Doing something we love every day is an important daily habit to get into – but challenging ourselves to learn something new is just as beneficial. Whether it’s a new language, an instrument, some dance moves, or picking up a new word every day, the benefits are huge. Learning new things gives you more to talk about, increases your confidence, boosts your brain power, makes you feel more confident, and helps to keep boredom at bay!

Investing in ourselves each and every day – in both big ways and small – really can have the most profound effect on our quality of life, and how much of it we get to enjoy. So seize the coming season with your 7 health habits to back you up.

If you’d like to learn more about life at Abbeyfield – and how we help people to find their fit in later life – get in touch with us today.

Blog originally published: September 2021 Updated: November 2023