Travel & Lifestyle: The Health Rules Millennial Doctors Swear By

For some people, it’s hard to believe that the oldest millennials are fully approaching midlife. Individuals in this generation encompass those born between 1981 and 1996, according to the Pew Research Center, making the oldest millennials 43 and the youngest 27.

It’s easy for those in this age range to feel like they have their whole lives ahead of them (because they do!), but the practices they do now are actually what set them up for health success as they get older.

What can millennials do now to age well? There is probably no one better to answer that question than millennial doctors. Below, physicians from different parts of the country and medical fields share their rules for staying healthy now and as they age. (And honestly, it’s probably advice all of us should be following ― not just millennials.)

“For me, physical exercise drives everything,” said Dr. Kenneth Koncilja, a geriatrician at the Cleveland Clinic. “When I’m more active, I eat healthier, I drink less alcohol, I sleep better. So for me, that is my foundation.”

Koncilja said he prioritizes time in the gym, particularly in fitness centers that have some sort of childcare or activities for his kids.

Dr. Renée Rodriguez Paro, a pediatric cardiologist in California, said she fell out of her exercise routine for a while and started to feel less happy and more burned out as a result. About 10 years ago, she slowly got back into her exercise habit.

“Just a little bit of exercise a day … it really just changed everything, and it sounds ridiculous, but it did make me feel better,” Paro said.

“I have a consistent exercise routine that I do six days a week and give myself one day of rest. I’ve run 13 marathons … I also strength train, because I definitely know the huge importance of muscle mass and … having mobility in the long term,” she continued. “I use the Peloton bike as cross training, have done some swimming, have done a triathlon, but my main exercise routine is running.”

Dr. Joshua Levenson, a cardio-oncologist and director of the Center for Cardio-Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, emphasized the importance of maintaining muscle mass.

“For those who already feel ‘healthy,’ strength training — for women especially — is definitely one of the modifiable factors that readers can and should focus on now,” Levenson said. “We start to lose muscle mass over the age of 35, so keeping strength up now will pay off decades down the line.”

“Most recently, I’ve been trying to be better about doing things that we were taught as kids, like eat more vegetables, eat more fruits, so now I’ve been doing a lot of plant-based eating as much as possible,” said Dr. Kelly Cheung, a resident physician in Los Angeles.

Although practicing a plant-based diet is “definitely challenging because there’s a lot of meat … in our culture,” Cheung noted that research shows the diet can lower your risk of cancer.

Paro said she also focuses on a plant-forward diet.

“I’m not a vegan or vegetarian. I eat various different proteins, but I really try to focus on trying to get at least one serving of fruits and vegetables in with every meal and snack time,” she said.

“I think another thing is mental health. I think we’re more likely than prior generations of physicians to be open and willing to discuss therapy,” Koncilja said. “Seeing different therapists and mental health providers are helpful for me to be more resilient day to day in my career and to relate to my patients who deal with their own stressors, depression and anxiety.”

All generations have pressure and cope with it in different ways, Koncilja added, but being open about mental health care and taking an active role in their own treatment is something he and his fellow millennial colleagues do.

Paro also shared that stress management is important for her.

“I have a daily mindfulness practice where I have a gratitude journal. I do a three-to-five-minute meditation every morning and have been doing that daily for about nine years. That has had a very profound effect on dealing with the daily stresses of being a mom and a doctor and in a leadership position and wanting to be a good wife and family member,” she said.

Dr. Janet Nwaukoni, a family physician based in Chicago, said that she also practices daily mindfulness and gratitude each morning. These exercises help you shape your day and create your narrative, which is essential to your overall health, Nwaukoni noted. Think about it: If you go into the day grateful for your family, friends and the sunshine, you’ll be less likely to dwell on the bad stuff, which can create stress and anxiety — both of which are tied to high blood pressure and trouble with sleep.

“The most interesting and new health habit that has been reinforced by data is the conscious removal of exposure to plastics — and microplastics,” Levenson said.

Earlier this year, the New England Journal of Medicine published a paper that looked at plaque buildup in people’s carotid arteries, which are the blood vessels that provide blood to your brain. Researchers found that microplastics were getting into the plaque, and that the more microplastics someone had in their plaque buildup, the more likely they were to have a heart attack, stroke and even die, Levenson explained.

“I think the outcomes were very clearly worrisome … the likelihood of having a bad event was about four times more likely for those who had significant plastics in their carotids versus not,” he said.

This research has caused him (and many of his colleagues) to rethink his own relationship with plastics and try to limit them when possible.

“I think the simplest would be not microwaving plastics, even things that are described as microwave-safe,” he said.

This goes for reheating takeout drinks from places like Starbucks, since those cups are lined with plastic, Levenson noted. You can also replace your plastic food containers with glass ones and choose reusable water bottles over one-time-use plastic bottles.

“We need to be conscious about this, and I don’t think that we have even scratched the surface of understanding what these plastics are doing to our body,” Levenson said.

According to Nwaukoni, it’s important that you establish care with a primary care provider or family medicine physician who you can visit routinely, whether for regular checkups or visits when there’s a problem.

“I would say family medicine is a specialty that is definitely one of its kind … you’re able to have a physician that can see you from as young as a newborn, all the way up until you age,” she said.

If you’re seeing a different doctor each time, they are likely unaware of your personal or family history, she noted. Someone who understands your background, goals and family history will be better suited to provide the best care.

Nwaukoni also stressed that you should know your family history, if possible, which can then be discussed with your primary care doctor. This way, they can help determine if you are at higher risk of any conditions and need to get screenings or testing done as soon as possible. They’ll also make sure you’re getting all of the screenings you need as you age, like colonoscopies, routine bloodwork and mammograms.

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“As humans, we are social animals,” Cheung said. But unfortunately, as we age, we lose a lot of our most cherished relationships, whether that’s parents, siblings or friends.

“I think socializing and having relationships becomes even more important,” Cheung added. “There’s also a lot of science evidence backing up that, as we get older, we’ll feel more socially isolated, and that can definitely impact our health.”

Social isolation is such a problem that the U.S. has declared it an epidemic. Social isolation and loneliness can put you at higher risk of dementia, heart disease, stroke, anxiety and more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Healthy relationships lead to a healthy life,” Paro said. She shared that she works to maintain meaningful and deep relationships with those who deserve it — not people who drain her energy or don’t understand the demands of her life.

“As we get older and as a professional, your time is limited and you have to be selective with the relationships you engage in … and then when you do have a relationship that you want to sustain … making sure you’re putting in the time that you can to spend with those people you know, getting in contact with them, being really open in your communication style,” Paro said.

Nurturing these relationships now and being open to making new friends will only help you have a strong social circle as you age. You can join community sports leagues, group fitness classes, religious organizations or local educational classes to meet new people for your circle.

A lot of millennial doctors are young parents, Koncilja said, which impacts how they go about their health journey, too.

“I want to be a good role model for my children,” he said. “I think that’s the biggest change in my health habits, is that it’s become less selfish and now more from being a role model for my children.”

As opposed to focusing on arms and abs at the gym a few years ago, he now focuses on a more holistic approach. Beyond exercise, if your kids see you practicing the habits mentioned above, they’ll become normalized, making it more likely that your kids will grow up eating nutritious foods, maintaining relationships and taking care of their mental health, too. So, not only are you taking care of yourself, but you’re taking care of future generations.