There are lots of things we can do to keep ourselves as healthy as possible and reduce our chances of developing some health problems.
Support services for many lifestyle factors are planned and funded by local authorities through their public health functions and are delivered by a range of NHS, local authority and voluntary or social enterprise organisations. In this section we will direct you to the appropriate support.
Staying healthier in older age
Age UK has wide-ranging support and advice, from exercise to finance, to guide you towards the support you might need of find useful.
Physical Activity and Weight Management
It's important for our overall physical and mental health to lead active lives and to manage our weight.
There are national guidelines on how much activity we should all be doing at different stages of our lives and the Better Health campaign provides support and ideas on how to meet the guidelines.
There are many weight loss and weight management programmes that are available to help you to lose the pounds and to keep them off. On this page we've gathered together national information and specific support available where you live.
Age UK has wide-ranging support and advice, from exercise to finance, to guide you towards the support you might need of find useful.
Sleep
Sleep is an essential process that helps us maintain our mental and physical health. We know that without it, we cannot function effectively.
Within Thames Valley, (a partnership of NHS, social care, voluntary and community organisations), we know that good sleep matters. It reduces our risk of developing serious illness, boosts our immune system, reduces stress, helps us think more clearly – and a good night’s sleep makes us feel great. More advice can be found on the NHS Better Health sleep pages.
If you struggle to sleep, there is a range of support options open to you, from local Talking Therapies services to the Sleepio programme, which is offered free of charge to Thames Valley residents.
Help to quit smoking
Smoking is one of the biggest causes of death and illness in the UK - Every year around 78,000 people in the UK die from smoking, with many more living with debilitating smoking-related illnesses.
Smoking increases your risk of developing more than 50 serious health conditions, some of them fatal. However, if you give up smoking, the health benefits begin almost immediately.
Second-hand smoke
People, including children, exposed to second-hand smoke, are also at increased risk, so we should particularly avoid smoking at home and in the car. Second-hand smoke is particularly dangerous for those with existing health conditions, like asthma or heart disease.
E-cigarette use (vaping)
Nicotine vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking and is an effective tools for quitting smoking. However, it is not recommended for long term use. Vaping is not recommended for non-smokers and young people.
Alcohol Awareness
Alcohol is what is known as a psychoactive substance. This means it affects your mental processes, such as your perception, consciousness, your mood and emotions.
It shares many of the these features with a number of illegal drugs. Not only that, alcohol causes more harm to individuals and to those around them than any other drug, legal or illegal.
Drinking too much alcohol can cause serious and long-lasting damage to a person’s physical and mental health. It is legal in the UK for people over the age of 18 to buy and drink alcohol. However, people may increase their drinking over time, perhaps as part of their social activities, or maybe to help cope during emotional or challenging times. This pattern can cause physical and mental damage, as well as harming a person's home life and work.
Even relatively low levels of alcohol, if drunk over a long period of time, can be damaging. This is why it’s important for people to understand the safe levels of drinking, the impact on their bodies and how long it can affect them.
People drinking at harmful levels can often be unaware they have a problem, or are in denial. Perhaps someone you know might be experiencing problems with alcohol? If you're worried about your own or someone else's drinking, speaking with them about it could be a positive step toward their recovery journey? Your support could play a crucial role in potentially saving their life.
On these pages you’ll find further information on alcohol and what it does, as well as links to tools that can help you calculate how much you drink, how long the alcohol stays in your system and where your consumption is in relation to safe drinking levels.
Cancer risk
Around 4 in 10 cancer cases in the UK can be prevented by making healthy lifestyle changes. Stopping smoking is the single most effective way to reduce cancer risk, as chemicals in tobacco smoke damage the body’s cells. Keeping a healthy weight also helps protect against at least 13 types of cancer, because excess body fat can produce hormones and inflammation that encourage cancer growth.
Staying safe in the sun reduces the risk of skin cancer by preventing UV radiation from damaging skin cells, while cutting down on alcohol lowers the risk of several cancers, since alcohol breaks down into substances that can harm DNA. The HPV vaccine further helps protect against cancers linked to the human papillomavirus, including cervical cancer. It’s never too late to make positive changes, and support is available. Speak to your doctor if you’re concerned about your cancer risk.