What Do We Know About Healthy Aging?

By: National Institute on Aging

Narrated by: Tom Brooks

Aging doesn’t have to mean slowing down. This NIA booklet shows how small, science-backed choices—movement, food, sleep, connection, and curiosity—can protect independence and keep life feeling yours for decades.

Drawing on NIH-funded studies, it explains what researchers know about supporting healthy aging by caring for physical, mental, and cognitive health together.

For the body, it highlights exercise as a cornerstone, encouraging regular activity, strength, and more daily steps to preserve muscle, energy, and mobility. It recommends smart food patterns such as Mediterranean, DASH, and MIND approaches, plus practical sleep habits to improve mood and memory. It also stresses quitting smoking at any age, limiting alcohol, being cautious with opioids and benzodiazepines, and seeing a doctor regularly for checkups and screenings that catch disease early.

For the mind, it clarifies the difference between loneliness and social isolation, offers ways to stay connected, and shows how chronic stress and depression can affect health—while hobbies, volunteering, arts, and pets can boost well-being.

For the brain, it notes that combining lifestyle factors may lower dementia risk, encourages controlling blood pressure, and suggests learning new, challenging skills as a better “brain workout” than hype-filled training apps. It closes with next steps and invitation to volunteer.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2025 Tom Brooks (P)2025 Tom Brooks