Long ago, sages and wise ancestors lived in harmony with natural laws, allowing them to remain robust and look remarkably youthful well into their seventies and eighties without the medical advancements we rely on today. Fast forward to the modern era, and despite immense progress in science and healthcare, young adults often find their energy fading well before they hit thirty, with multiple health issues surfacing all at once. This naturally raises the question of whether maintaining physical fitness up to the age of sixty or seventy is still achievable today. Addressing this concern, renowned geriatrician Dr Prasun Chatterjee, former director of the AIIMS National Center for Aging and current country lead for geriatric medicine and longevity science at the Apollo Group of Hospitals, has outlined seven foundational rules to keep the body healthy and vibrant past sixty.
Get Eight Hours of Restful Sleep
Dr Prasun Chatterjee points out that the very first habit to adopt immediately is getting a full eight hours of peaceful sleep every single night. Science has firmly established that sleep is the period when the body repairs itself and rejuvenates all internal systems. Therefore, committing to a nightly routine of eight uninterrupted hours acts as a powerful restorative tool. Even if someone manages seven hours of completely unbroken sleep, the positive impact on health is extraordinary.
Practice Moderate and Controlled Eating
Surrounded by endless food options that constantly tempt us, modern society has made packaged goods, fast food, and junk food primary drivers of chronic illness. To counter this, stick to freshly prepared home-cooked meals while reducing overall portion sizes. Dr Prasun Chatterjee advises trimming daily calorie intake by twenty percent compared to previous habits. A practical way to measure this is through the stomach capacity rule: fill half of your total hunger with grains, fruits, and vegetables, fill half of the remaining space with water, and leave the final portion completely empty. In short, satisfy about seventy-five to eighty percent of your actual hunger and keep the rest empty.
Maintain One Gram of Protein Per Kilogram of Body Weight
Across India, a large majority of individuals suffer from inadequate protein intake, which gradually weakens the body over time. The solution is to eat less in volume but make every bite more nutritious, ensuring an adequate supply of dietary protein. Generally, an adult requires between sixty to seventy grams of protein each day. The simplest way to calculate this is matching one gram of protein to every kilogram of body weight, meaning a fifty-kilogram person needs fifty grams of protein daily. Good sources include lentils, milk, seeds, dry fruits, and fresh fruits. Non-vegetarians can rely on eggs and chicken breasts while keeping red meat consumption to an absolute minimum.
Finish Dinner by Six in the Evening
Dr Prasun Chatterjee explains that ancient traditions emphasized avoiding food after sunset, aligning closely with both nature and modern science. During rest and sleep, the digestive tract processes food while the body follows a natural circadian rhythm where insulin sensitivity and metabolism slow down significantly after dark. Eating early provides the digestive system with ample time to process the evening meal properly, keeping body weight stable, preventing acid reflux, and vastly improving sleep quality.
Commit to a Thirty-Minute Walk Daily
Even for those who avoid rigorous workouts or gym sessions, dedicating just thirty minutes a day to a brisk walk delivers multiple health benefits simultaneously. Walking strengthens heart muscles, helps regulate blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and lowers blood sugar by improving insulin sensitivity within the muscles. Additionally, it triggers the release of feel-good hormones like endorphins, which alleviate mental stress and keep the overall metabolism operating at an optimal level.
Cultivate Happiness and Emotional Well-Being
Dr Prasun Chatterjee stresses that maintaining a joyful mindset is the most crucial element for a healthy life. Excessive stress spikes cortisol levels, which serves as the root cause of numerous ailments, whereas staying cheerful minimizes the release of this stress hormone and protects the body. The primary rule of happiness is avoiding undue stress. Since stress is inevitable, learning how to manage it effectively separates a stressful life from a fulfilling one. Yoga and meditation serve as powerful tools for this purpose. Furthermore, remaining socially engaged, building meaningful friendships, going on outings, and maintaining constant communication with family members contribute immensely to daily joy.
Continuously Learn New Skills
A major concern in society is that people often stop learning entirely once they cross the age of forty, turning everyday existence into a dull and burdensome routine. To prevent this stagnation, individuals must continuously engage in learning new concepts. This does not require formal academic study; instead, people can pick up new cooking techniques, try brain-teasing games, solve puzzles like Sudoku, or even explore mathematics. Learning about different cultures or acquiring entirely new trivia offers countless ways to keep the mind sharp and active.
