A lot of people say that they wish they had the health they did when they were 20, 30 or 40 years younger. But, this isn’t something unobtainable. Yes, we are susceptible to more illnesses than when we were younger and some parts of our bodies and minds aren’t at peak capacity, but that doesn’t mean we should just sit in an armchair and let our health deteriorate. It’s important to remember that prevention is key, and adopting healthy habits right now is the best thing you can do for your future self. But no matter how old you are, it’s never too late to start taking care of your health, and here’s how you can do it.
Regular exercise
Staying active is the best way to give your body the signal that you still have things to do and that it needs to keep running at full capacity. If you spend all your time sitting down, your body will take that as a sign that you no longer need it to give you the same amount of energy. So what you want to do is stay active, as much as you can, every single day. Try to use as little transport as possible and walk whenever you can. You also want to find some sort of moderate exercise to do a few times per week. There are Pilates classes that are made especially for seniors, so if you feel like you can’t commit to something tougher, joining a class like that one will give you the activity you need without pushing you too far. Try to stay active around the house as well. Get busy in the garden, or at least tidy up around the home every day. It is not much exercise-wise but it will get you on your feet and moving, which is the most important part.
Pay attention to mental health
There are some things that we just cannot help, like our brain cells dying off and our mental health not being what it used to be. However, there are things that we can do to slow the process down and help us remain as healthy as possible for a long time. The first step is not being alone. If you feel like you need care and support that you can’t get from the people around you, consider comfortable aged care, where you will live in a community where you aren’t alone, and you have the professional help you need. But before you reach that point, keeping strong ties with friends and family, as well as learning new things will help slow the aging of your mind. Learning a new language, how to play an instrument or keeping up with modern technology is a great way to stimulate the brain and keep it active.
Keep up your hygiene
Personal hygiene is a necessary part of our health, and if we let it stop being a part of our routine, we are in danger of it having an effect on our health. Make sure you bathe regularly, brush your teeth at least twice per day, floss, always wear clean clothes and maintain a clean environment. With age, some of these things can become difficult to do, and it’s crucial to ask for help when you need it, so that you can live a clean, healthy life.
Balance your diet
Eating well is the base of anyone’s health, and that doesn’t change with age. You might feel like you don’t need much food and some foods might be hard to eat due to dental issues, but it’s important that what you are eating is a diet full of nutrients. If you’re struggling with preparing it, find a service that can deliver healthy, balanced meals to your door every day. And if you feel like you don’t need to eat at all, remember that it can be a hard-to-break cycle. You don’t eat, so you don’t have the energy to be active, which in return makes your body crave less food. A small appetite is normal, but you still need to eat.
It’s not difficult to live a healthy, happy life all the way into your senior years. You just have to realize that nothing has changed except the numbers, and you should treat yourself like you’re just preparing for the best years of your life.
Guest Blogger
Diana Smith, she can be reached at dianasmith.dany@gmail.com or her website.
