Healthy lifestyles are one of the biggest things that elderly individuals are in search of, but many people aren’t one hundred percent sure which things they should focus on in order to get there. We’ve put together a few senior health ideas that you can use–many of them starting right now–to help improve your quality of life, or of the life of an elderly person that you might be caring for.
Quit Smoking: This is one of the biggest things that you or your loved ones can do. Smoking is addictive and quitting after years of doing it can seem like an overwhelming though, but it is possible to quit. If you need assistance with this, speak to a medical professional and they can get you pointed in the right direction. But quitting smoking now will have health benefits that can be physically felt in just a few days.
Get Exercise: Exercise isn’t high on the list of fun things to do for most retirees, but it should be. There are plenty of ways to get exercise, and it doesn’t need to fill the preconceived notions that you might have about getting fit. Exercise should be fun, it can be a group activity, and if you do it right, you won’t even know that you were exercising.
Reduce Stress: Stress is a huge detractor from quality of life. It can be managed through exercise, a strong spiritual life, socializing with friends or family, or things like meditation or yoga. If you are stressed, finding a hobby that you can devote some time and energy to can be a good place to start.
There are many little things that you can do to help improve senior health.
Eat Healthier: Things like greasy fast food burgers and fries taste great, but they have negative health effects. A poor diet can lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. Eating more fruits and vegetables can reverse these problems. If health problems already exist, the impact of eating healthy might not be quite as big, but it is impossible that eating healthier will make the situation any worse.
Lose Weight: Following closely behind eating healthier is maintaining a healthy weight. Obesity causes a whole host of health issues, as we have already discussed. Being at too low of a weight also carries health issues with it, as we will see in the next section.
Avoid Falls: Falling is one of the biggest sources of health issues and disability within the senior population. If you are losing weight, a fall can exacerbate the problem by increasing the risk of broken bones and internal injury. A broken hip can cause permanent disability at times, and even lead to a lifetime spent in a hospital or nursing home.
See Your Doctor: Go to your doctor for regular checkups. Seeing your doctor for your normal physicals, dental appointments, or vision checks can stave off problems before they spiral out of control. Regular physicals can also help detect health issues before they become serious illnesses.
Stay Safe: Senior safety goes beyond just physical health and eating right. Seniors often need supervision during the day for various reasons, and whether it be a professional in-home caregiver
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