Aging is an inevitable part of life, and with increasing age comes declining health. As you age, it is natural for the body to change and the organs to experience a decline in their function. You may need to make changes to your lifestyle to facilitate healthy aging.
As a senior citizen, implementing healthy habits can help you maintain health and wellness. Making the right lifestyle choices can also protect against health problems like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
However, doing so can be a challenge for seniors on their own, which is why it is always best to seek the help of family and friends in adopting a healthy lifestyle. Seniors can also consider hiring professional caregivers whose sole responsibility is to devote their time and attention to looking after the seniors.
Even if you neglected your fitness during your youth, it is never too late to start making the right choices and leading a healthy lifestyle. Consider the tips given below to maintain health in your advancing age.
Go for a medical checkup
Scheduling a complete medical exam is very important because it helps diagnose illnesses before they become severe. If you worked as a construction worker or in the armed forces for an extended duration during your youth, you have probably been exposed to asbestos for a dangerously long time. This substance causes mesothelioma, a rare condition that becomes clinically apparent after a long time.
The first step in receiving the treatment you need to improve your prognosis if you have mesothelioma is to get an accurate diagnosis. Online resources like Mesothelioma Hope can help you learn more about the diagnosis, signs, symptoms, and treatment of mesothelioma. A thorough medical checkup is necessary for all seniors because it will enable doctors to discover if you have signs of any other illness. They can use this information to begin the best treatment right away.
Eat well
Eating a balanced diet is essential for maintaining health, especially with increasing age. As you age, bone density decreases, and the digestive system slows down. Hence, you must include vitamin-rich and high-fiber foods in your diet to ensure you do not develop any deficiency diseases and that your bowel habit remains regular.
Eating a fiber-rich diet lowers the risk of stroke and heart disease in seniors and regulates peristalsis, thereby preventing constipation. High-fiber foods include green beans, unsalted nuts and seeds, whole-grain bread and cereals, colored vegetables, and fruits. Fresh fruits and vegetables are also a rich source of vitamins and minerals essential for maintaining health and wellness.
Eating well also means avoiding highly processed foods like fried items. Instead, opt for boiled, broiled, or grilled meat since they will contain less oil, thereby preventing health conditions associated with high cholesterol. Incorporate low-fat or fat-free milk richly laden with vitamin D and calcium in your diet. If you are lactose intolerant, you can choose non-dairy options like soy, almond, or rice milk to guarantee a steady supply of nutrients to keep your bones strong as you age.
Stay hydrated
Another health tip for seniors is to consume an appropriate amount of fluids every day to stay hydrated. It is natural to feel less thirsty with increasing age making seniors prone to dehydration. Drinking fluids is vital because most of our body consists of water, and it is the medium in which reactions occur. Doing so will maintain energy levels throughout the day and prevent constipation and urinary tract infections.
If you have a bladder control problem keeping you from drinking the right volume of fluids, consult your doctor on its management and fulfill your liquid intake.
Get regular sleep
As you grow older, your sleeping habits can become irregular. Frequent waking up during the night and insomnia are common conditions among seniors. However, it is important to try and establish a regular sleep cycle to maintain wellness.
Consider adopting some healthy habits that encourage you to fall asleep and stay asleep during the night. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day; it will help regulate your circadian rhythm and encourage sleep regularity. Avoid napping during the day, and refrain from drinking stimulants like coffee and alcohol in the evening. Avoiding bright lights and creating a soothing and dull ambiance in your bedroom closer to bedtime can also spur drowsiness. Ensuring your sleeping quarters are comfortable, quiet, and cool will also guarantee better sleep.
Focus on cognitive health
According to the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health, learning a new skill can help seniors stay mentally active and improve their thinking ability and memory. This guarantees cognitive health. As a senior, you can engage in numerous brain games like crossword puzzles, reading, and writing to challenge your mental faculties and stay sharp. You can also take up new hobbies to stimulate your brain and engage with the surrounding environment. Doing so will prevent cognitive decline.
Do some exercise
Exercising for at least 15-20 minutes a day is very important. As you grow older, it is natural to feel lazy and neglect your physical health by staying in bed all day or watching TV while sprawled on your couch.
An effective way to hold yourself accountable for your exercise is to call or text someone to let them know you have done it. You do not need to perform complex exercises that can cause more harm than good. Instead, engage in mild to moderate exercise, such as walking on a treadmill or doing a stationary bike.
If you have had a physical injury in the past or another medical condition that limits your movement, regularly performing the exercises the therapist prescribed is enough. Going out to walk your pet is also an excellent way to get your body moving and stay healthy and fit.
Conclusion
Although there are many tips that you can follow to stay healthy during your advanced age, perhaps the most important tip is to be good to yourself. Sometimes seniors can feel isolated and detached because of lifestyle changes, declining health, and losing loved ones resulting in depression and sadness. In such circumstances, it is important to talk to yourself and counsel yourself to get up and face the challenges of old age. Doing so will give you the confidence to manage the demands of daily living. You can be good to yourself by keeping in touch with your support circle, including family, friends, and co-workers, who will keep your spirits up.
