With advancement in science of longevity, there is a growing community of scientists and doctors who believe that ageing, just as any disease, can be treated and life can be extended. It is possible to live to be 100 (LIVE2B100). However, to enjoy extended life, age gracefully and live life on your own terms, you not only need to plan for your financial freedom but also need to take steps to be physically, emotionally and mentally fit. For this you don’t need to visit any pharmacy to buy pills to keep you in shape as the most powerful pharmacy is not a place—but your own body.
Science and tradition both agree: the human body has incredible self-healing potential.The secret to living a long, healthy, and purposeful life lies in activating this natural healing system through everyday lifestyle choices.
Let’s explore 5 key areas along with simple tips to identify how you can unlock this inner power and what you need to do.
Move to Heal: The Power of Physical Activity
Regular movement—be it simple things like walking, stretching, or strength training —keeps your muscles strong and your joints flexible. But more importantly, it fuels your independence and boosts your body chemistry. Natural hormones like dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins get activated during exercise, uplifting your mood and protecting your brain.Most importantly it keeps you mobile and independent to undertake activities of daily living without having to depend on anyone.
Tip: Start your day with a daily min 30 routine of simple age appropriate exercises such as brisk walk, free hand gentle stretches, yoga, theraband or calisthenics. To know more about age appropriate exercises click here. If nothing else, then simply helping with the daily chores can also go a long way towards improving your blood flow and getting your mind refreshed.Just stepping out in the open goes a long way towards your overall well being- According to Wayne Fields the Six best doctors are sunshine, water, rest,air, exercise, and diet.
Rest, Recover, Rebuild: Sleep as Medicine
Sleep isn’t just rest—it’s recovery. During deep sleep, your body repairs muscles, restores energy, and balances essential chemicals like melatonin and cortisol. Skimping on sleep weakens your immunity and slows healing. Prioritising quality or a restful sleep is one of the simplest ways to activate your body’s pharmacy. Restful sleep helps consolidate memories, clearing toxic waste from the brain, regulating emotions, and maintaining immune function. Sleep deprivation disrupts hormones controlling hunger, leading to weight gain and diabetes, and it accelerates aging at the cellular level. It is also attributed to contribute to everything from Alzheimer’s disease to mental illness. It is said that sleep is not time lost to unconsciousness, but rather the foundation upon which mental and physical health depend.
Tip:To get quality sleep, set up a going to bed routine which involves a gap of at least 30-45 min post dinner. Maintain a regular bedtime, brushing your teeth before going to bed and switch off screens 30 minutes before sleep —your body loves routine.
Mind Matters: Mental Wellness & Cognitive Health
Mental well-being is tightly interwoven with physical health and active ageing. Regular mindfulness practices, social engagement, and cognitive stimulation keep your neurological health sharp and reduce the risk of age-related decline. The brain thrives on challenges—so keep learning, reading, travelling to explore and connect with people. The confidence of being able to independently handle instrumental activities of daily living gives a tremendous boost to the power of positive thinking. Positive thinking or neuro linguistic programming has tremendous capacity to sometimes even overcome challenges which doctors find hard to explain.
Tip: Learning new skills such as cooking (esp.for men) or painting, reading books, solving puzzles , writing blogs or just journaling helps. Do a 5-minute breathing or mindfulness exercise daily—it’s a mental detox you’ll come to love. Simple Brain gym exercises are another way of keeping up the cognitive skills. Restful sleep is the best medicine for mental wellness.
Connect & Contribute: Social Health = Emotional Health
Loneliness is a silent disease. On the other hand, meaningful social connections, a sense of purpose, and the feeling of contributing to society create emotional well-being. These feelings trigger “happy hormones” that promote healing and reduce stress, fueling a sense of happiness and belonging.
Tip: Call a friend, help a neighbour, or socialise by volunteering once in a while for local activities or festivals —it fills your emotional tank. Calling friends and family members on their birthday instead of sending whatsApp messages, stepping out to interact with neighbours or even simply offering to look after your grandchildren can go a long way. It not only goes towards usefully contributing to the family responsibilities but also provides an opportunity to bond with your grandchildren which is like the cherry on the cake. Joining a laughter club gives you an opportunity to be with like minded seniors. For those spiritually inclined, joining spiritual community groups can also provide an opportunity for social interactions and sense of belonging.
Nourish to Flourish: Nutrition & Inner Balance
Your body is a biochemical lab—feed it right. Balanced nutrition consisting of pro-biotics and proteins and pro-biotics helps nourish your gut, maintain your electrolyte and mineral levels, rebuild the wear and tear of muscles thereby supporting muscle function, mental clarity, and energy. Food is not just fuel—it’s information your body uses to heal and thrive.
Tip: Drink water immediately after walking up. It helps rehydrate the body with fluids lost during sleep. Eating a balanced meal at fixed times and intervals helps. Keep your plate colourful by eating all seasonal vegetables and fruits. Add one seasonal fruit and two colors of vegetables to your daily plate—your body will thank you. Avoid mid meal snacking. Do not over eat.
Nature’s Healing Blueprint
While the Lifespan in India is 73 years, the Health span or Healthy Life Expectancy (i.e. life free of age related disease) is only 58 years. To catch up on this gap, every part of your lifestyle—movement, rest, relationships, mindset, and food—can contribute by leveraging your body’s natural healing powers. You don’t need exotic pills. You need to just set up a sustainable routine which becomes part of your daily life. It is only when you don’t listen to your body that you need to visit your doctor who advises supplements or pills to make up for something your body is unable to generate in adequate quantities.
The best practice is to add an annual health assessment or screening which involves a geriatric doctor consultation to your list of annual things to do. It helps assess risk to lifestyle diseases as well as catch symptoms of some of the degenerative diseases early. Introducing appropriate interventions like nutrition, exercises, physiotherapy etc which can delay onset of some degenerative diseases. Because longevity isn’t just about living longer—it’s about living better. Activate your body’s natural pharmacy. Start today. Cheers !!
