17 older adults share health tips they regret not trying earlier in life.

It’s important to take care of our health and what our bodies need, but sometimes we develop these habits later rather than earlier. Recently Redditor r/chudlfikken asked older people in the Reddit community to share this health advice they wish they had followed suit when they were younger, and the answers are incredibly informative. Here are some health-related tips you can start implementing into your daily life (if you haven’t already):

1.“I wish I had appreciated the value of sleep when I was younger. I often stayed up late and thought I could function if I got some rest. However, I have learned that good sleep is critical to overall health and well-being.”

2.“Avoid loud music and rock concerts, and wearing headphones. Tinnitus and hearing loss are real.”

–Daveydesign

3.“I wore sunscreen. For most of my 51 years, I never wore one, despite living in the South and spending a lot of time outdoors. I have always loved sunbathing and sunbathing as long as possible. “With bad skin, I know my face would have been in better shape if I had started wearing sunscreen earlier in life, and now, as a parent, I make my kids wear it all the time.”

4.“Wear sunglasses to prevent cataracts. Listen to older people – they’ve been through what you will eventually have to go through.”

–Skudztekat

5.“I would like, as a woman, to advocate for myself more and tell doctors to listen to me more. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been told that my symptoms are “no big deal” and that I should “relax more” because it’s “just anxiety.” I wouldn’t end up in the ER and have to keep telling doctor after doctor that what I was feeling wasn’t caused by anxiety. Maybe instead I wish doctors would learn to listen to women.”

6.“Excessive alcohol consumption. If you are having problems, seek help as soon as possible.”

–Habibti143

7.“I wish I knew how important it was to manage stress early on. I often brushed off my anxiety, thinking it was just part of life. Learning to manage stress would make a big difference to my overall health.”

8.“I would like to do more strength training and less computer work before college. The time I spent coding in middle and high school didn’t really yield much benefit. But strength training gives you an asset that continues to pay dividends and that you can continue to build throughout your life.”

–mightybyte

9.“I wish I had never smoked a cigarette.”

10.“Eat fiber and hydrate. My gut health was in decline before I started taking it seriously.”

–VBOR2012

11.“Drink a lot of water. Every day. All my life. I used to drink a LOT of water when I was in my 20s and 30s and then I just fell out of the habit. I just had my pre-op physical and the results of my blood and urine tests were strange and didn’t make sense. After doing a little digging into the numbers, it dawned on me: I asked myself: When did I stop drinking 8-10 cups of water? Years have passed, so I gradually increase my consumption. I remember my dad telling me how important it is to drink a lot of water, and now I know why!”

12.“Keep an eye on your blood pressure. I ignored mine until I had a stroke.”

–Cute_Repeat3879

13.“Take care of your teeth! Between the ages of 18 and 24, I didn’t go to the dentist. I was young and my teeth were fine, so I didn’t do it. When I turned 25, one of my molars became sensitive, so I bought sensitive toothpaste, but the feeling did not go away. When I finally went to the dentist I was told that my back molar was completely rotted and needed to be removed, I still remember. the smell of my rotten tooth when it was pulled out still smells like death. Now I go to the dentist every year without fail. Of course, it costs money, but I get a certificate of clean health and peace of mind. “

14.“Get a water cleaner for your teeth and a bidet for your ass!”

–Lzim3p53

15.“Stretching. Flexibility as you age is very important.”

16.“I would like to wear quality shoes while working. It was expensive, but if I had done it, my pain would have been more bearable.”

–InconstantDefinition4334

17.And finally: “I wear a night guard. I grind my teeth when I sleep, but I haven’t worn it. Fast forward 30 years and approximately 75% of my teeth are cracked. I’ve had five root canals in the past.” year, as well as the expensive crowns they put on literally all of my molars to hold them together as a temporary measure. Someday the cracks in my teeth will extend too far beyond the gum line and I will have to have my teeth pulled. one after another.”

As someone who just started flossing regularly this year, my hygienist, to no one’s surprise, is right: it makes a big difference for your oral health. So, especially after reading some of these stories, I’ll definitely keep doing it! If you are an older person, what health advice do you wish you followed more when you were younger? Let me know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your story using this form!

Note. Some content has been edited for length and/or clarity.

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