Elders can benefit from health tips designed to foster a healthier lifestyle that prevents chronic diseases while keeping active. Such habits may help them avoid or better manage illnesses like dementia, heart disease and depression.
Screenings such as blood pressure and cholesterol checks can provide seniors with early warning of potential issues. Furthermore, recommended vaccinations such as Shingrix, Tdap, flu and pneumonia vaccines should also be administered as necessary.
1. Eat a Healthy Diet
Diet is of paramount importance for older adults as many serious health conditions often begin at this age, including diabetes and high blood pressure. When selecting meals and snacks that contain lots of essential nutrients but are low in excess calories and saturated fats. Limit sodium consumption while opt for fiber-rich products to prevent constipation.
Try to include fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Include ample sources of protein like seafood, dairy and fortified soy products along with beans, peas and lentils as sources. Incorporate healthy fats like olive oil, avocados and nuts but limit trans fat intake.
2. Exercise Regularly
Exercise can help seniors fight against health problems associated with age while simultaneously strengthening the body. Exercise also increases balance and flexibility to decrease falls risk – something which is a real danger among older individuals.
Experts advise adults aged 65 or above to participate in 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity each week (such as brisk walking or Tai Chi) and two sessions of muscle-strengthening exercises such as yoga, Tai Chi or water/chair aerobics. You may be able to find such options online or at local community centers.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is of utmost importance to seniors as it relieves stress and promotes balance. Without sufficient restful nights, seniors are more likely to fall and injure themselves – an extremely serious health concern which may lead to depression and other ailments.
To promote restful sleeping for seniors, they should adhere to a regular bedtime schedule and avoid daytime naps in order to ensure enough hours of quality restful slumber. They can also take steps to enhance their sleeping environment by eliminating distractions like smoking or caffeine that interfere with restful slumber.
4. Stay Active
Common perception of seniors portrays them as living diminished lives, but that’s simply untrue. Many seniors can still lead fulfilling and productive lives when they prioritize healthy practices like exercising regularly.
Regular physical activity improves balance, strength and flexibility while decreasing your risk of falls, hospitalizations and chronic conditions.
Try walking, swimming, yoga or Tai chi to stay active as an adult. Additionally, classes offered through local YMCA or community centers specifically targeting seniors may also help.
Maintain your routine, setting an annual goal of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity.
5. Stay Hydrated
Hydration is vitally important to adults of all ages, but especially so for senior citizens. Aging can diminish appetites and senses of thirst while medication like laxatives or diuretics increase dehydration risk.
Staying hydrated is key for maintaining health, including preventing confusion, weakness, urinary tract infections and more serious health issues. Staying hydrated also contributes to mental function as well as decreasing the risk of falls.
Encourage your elderly loved ones to drink water throughout the day, even if they do not feel thirsty. Making eating fruit or vegetables part of daily meals and cutting down on caffeinated beverages easier may make hydrating easier.
6. Stay Social
Loneliness can pose serious risks to seniors’ health, leading to depression and raising the risks for chronic conditions like heart disease, dementia and high blood pressure.
Social interaction provides mental stimulation and purposeful purposefulness for seniors. They should maintain relationships with friends and family as well as taking advantage of new activities like joining clubs or volunteering within their communities.
Maintaining strong social connections can make staying active easier, providing both motivation and encouragement to take regular exercise. If you know an elderly individual struggling to remain social, try reaching out and providing ways you can assist.
7. See Your Doctor
Common perception of older adults depicts them as experiencing gradual health decline and the consequent accumulation of health complications with age. But that view is an oversimplification; seniors can actually enjoy fulfilling and fruitful years provided that certain aspects of their health are prioritized.
At doctor appointments, it’s essential for your loved one to disclose all medications (both prescription and over-the-counter), supplements or herbal remedies they are taking – this helps ensure they don’t accidentally combine drugs that could interact adversely or have potential side effects.