Aging is an inevitable stage of life, so how do you focus on your well-being? Which lifestyle changes do you adopt to ensure you’re living your best life? Senior citizens have a lot of wisdom and experience but also experience some unique challenges when it comes to staying healthy. Regular exercise and a nutritious diet are the best ways to keep fit and maintain a youthful look.
Exercising can help to improve your cardiovascular health, maintain muscle mass, keep bones strong, improve cognitive functions, reduce the risk of developing dementia and enable you to rest well. In addition, senior citizens who incorporate a nutritious diet can acquire the vital nutrients their bodies need for boosting and sustaining functionality. Therefore, it’s important to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and limit processed food intake, saturated fats, and sugars.
This article focuses on a few tips for living a healthy life as a senior citizen. So let’s get right to it!
Improving Your Well-Being
Living a healthy lifestyle is important at any age, but it becomes even more crucial as you age. The human body is not as resilient as it once was and cannot quickly bounce back from unhealthy habits. How, then, do you ensure you’re in peak physician, mental, and emotional condition?
Well, you can begin by taking measures to ensure you feel relaxed and energetic. This may require engaging in positive activities that promote happiness, working out, and living an active lifestyle. There are many benefits to living a healthy lifestyle, but some of the most important ones include reducing the risk of chronic diseases, maintaining cognitive function and memory, and improving balance and coordination.
Chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes are America’s leading causes of death. But many of these conditions can be prevented or managed by healthy lifestyle choices.
Exercising Regularly
We could not stress this enough. Your body changes with age, and exercising is one of the manageable ways to keep the complications associated with senior living at bay. Unfortunately, many aged people believe they are not cut out for exercising, citing injuries, lack of motivation, and not knowing where to begin as some hindering factors.
However, regular workouts can help to improve balance and flexibility, increase energy levels and reduce pain from arthritis.
So, which exercises are specifically designed for seniors?
Yoga
Yoga is a great way to increase flexibility and strength while improving balance and coordination. There are many different types of yoga, so it’s essential that you find a class that suits your needs and abilities.
Tai Chi
Tai chi exercise is another excellent option for seniors looking to improve their physical fitness. This Ancient Chinese practice can help to improve balance, circulation, and muscle strength.
Walking
Walking is a simple but effective workout that you can do regardless of age. You can start slowly with a short walk around the block and gradually increase the distance as you build your stamina.
Eating Healthy
Make sure to get enough calcium and vitamin D when eating a balanced diet. Our bones need these nutrients to stay strong and healthy. Dairy products, dark leafy greens, and fish with bones are good sources of calcium. Vitamin D can be found in fortified foods like milk and cereals and fatty fish such as salmon and tuna.
Protein is vital for maintaining muscle mass, which can decline as you age. Therefore, you should aim to get at least 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. Fruits and vegetables are also essential since they are packed with vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants that are important for good health.
Do you consume enough servings of vitamins and minerals? Ideally, you should aim to consume at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. A balanced eating plan with supplements can ensure the proper amount of vitamins your body needs daily.
Getting Enough Sleep
Your body needs to heal, which requires time and a comfy bed. Sleep deprivation can have severe effects on your body. It can lead to problems with concentration and memory, as well as mood swings and irritability. It can also increase the chances of accidents and injuries.
Here are some of the top benefits of waking up fresh and ready for the day:
Getting enough sleep can help reduce stress and anxiety and improve your overall mood. So, if you are well-rested, you’re more likely to be in a good mood throughout the day.
You’re likely to be more productive when you’re well-rested, and you will have the energy and focus you need to get things done.
Sleep helps your body to heal and repair itself from the wear and tear of the day. It also helps to boost your immune system, which can protect you against colds and other illnesses.
Resting is also crucial for maintaining a healthy weight, as it helps to regulate hormones that control hunger and fullness.
Staying Social and Engaged
One great way to stay social is to join a club or organization. There are many clubs and organizations that cater to the elderly, such as the AARP or the National Council on Aging. These organizations offer a variety of activities and events that can help you stay social. You can also form a book club with some of your friends and family.
Another way to stay social as a senior is to volunteer. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and make new friends. It’s also a way to give back to the community and feel good about oneself.
What are the benefits of staying social and engaged?
- Seniors who stay social tend to have lower rates of depression and anxiety.
- Socializing can enable you to have higher levels of self-esteem.
- You can also sleep better, have stronger immune systems, and quickly recover from illness.
- Socially active older adults experience less stress.
So get out there and start socializing!
The Bottom Line
Are you living healthily as a senior citizen? Which of these practices do you strictly follow? Regardless of your answer, one thing is a downright necessity – you must take care of your well-being regardless of age. Living a healthy lifestyle has a ton of benefits besides making chronic illness and unwanted pains from the aging process more manageable. In addition, being active and taking care of what you eat will bring a breath of fresh air into your life, making you both energized and ready for what life has in store.
Written by: Vivian Summer