What Does Healthy Aging Look Like for Couples?

Staying healthy as you age makes it possible to keep doing what you enjoy, from spending time with your spouse and family to getting out with friends and staying involved in your community. 

Key Takeaways: 

• Strong relationships play an important rolein healthy aging, supporting both emotional and physical well-being.  
• Everyday choices help couples stay healthy and engaged,from staying active and making plans to keeping up with medical care.  
• The right care and services can make everyday life easier,giving couples more time and energy for each other and the things they enjoy. 

It’s Saturday morning, and a couple who’s shared 50 years together is lingering over coffee. They’re talking about the day ahead. Maybe they’ll have lunch with friends or take a walk around the neighborhood. Their daughter’s coming over later, and they’re looking forward to catching up. 

Life looks a little different now than it did 10 or 20 years ago. They move a little slower. One no longer drives. Everyday tasks take more planning. But they’re still doing the things they enjoy and spending time with the people they love. 

During Healthy Aging Month, we’re looking at the role relationships play in our health and some of the choices that can help us keep doing what we love as we get older. After all, healthy aging is about taking care of yourself in ways that help you stay engaged in the life and relationships you value. 

Healthy Aging Starts with Strong Relationships 

So, what is it about our relationships that can have such an impact on our health? It turns out that staying connected is good for us in more ways than one.  

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, strong connections with family, friends, and community play an important role in our health and well-being. Strong social ties have also been associated with healthier behaviors and better health outcomes.

And researchers have been looking at this link for a long time. “Our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health. Taking care of your body is important, but tending to your relationships is a form of self-care too,” says Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. 

That’s a pretty good reason to make time for the people who matter to us. 

5 Ways to Stay Healthy as You Age Together 

When you think about healthy aging, simply think about the things you both want to keep doing as you get older and make choices that help you keep doing them. 

Here are a few ideas: 

1. Move so you can keep going places.  Take a walk together, spend time in the garden, or enjoy an exercise class at the local senior center so you can maintain the strength and mobility to keep doing the things you enjoy.
2. Make meals to share.  Nutritious food supports your health and energy, and meals are an opportunity to slow down and connect with your spouse, friends, or family. So, enjoy healthy meals with people you care about. 
    
3. Keep making plans.  Put plans on the calendar. Lunch with friends. Your grandchild’s ballgame. A community event. Having something to look forward to can help you stay engaged with the world around you.
    
4. Pay attention to changes.  Keep up with regular medical care and medications, and do the same with changes in how you and your spouse are feeling. Noticing and addressing small concerns early may make it easier to stay active and independent.
    
5. Make room for separate interests, too.  A healthy relationship doesn’t mean you and your spouse always do everything together. Friendships, hobbies, volunteer work, and other interests can keep each of you connected and engaged, individually and as a couple. 

Let go of the pressure to follow a perfect healthy-aging routine. And focus on choosing to maintain the life you love. 

Supporting Each Other as You Age

Over time, you or your spouse may need a little support to keep doing the things that are important to you. Maybe errands have started taking more energy or everyday tasks are impacting your time together. 

Supporting each other may mean having assistance with some of those tasks, so you can both stay active and independent.  

Golden Harmony provides personalized in-home care, companionship, transportation, and other services to enable older adults to continue living well at home. That extra assistance can give spouses and family members more time to enjoy being together instead of trying to manage everything themselves. 

Want to learn how Golden Harmony can support you and your spouse? Reach out to our team today.