7 Life-Changing Healthy Hacks for Seniors

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Aging is inevitable; with time, your body goes through many changes. But getting older doesn’t necessarily need to translate into not living your life. Seniors are living healthier, happier, more active lives than their predecessors. Aging successfully starts with healthy habits. So if you are coming up on a “big birthday”, the best gift to give your-self is adopting a few of these habits.

Schedule regular Physical examinations

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The age-old wisdom, Prevention is better than cure, applies to all age groups. For the elderly, screenings for cholesterol levels, heart-related issues, colon cancer, and annual check-ups are essential. This not only allows you to keep a check on the overall state of your health but also helps identify any underlying problems.

While visiting your doctor, don’t forget to discuss your medication and check whether any of it is avoidable. It can be beneficial to be proactive about reviewing the necessity of the drugs prescribed to you.

Even your pharmacist is a good source for information on the side effects of drugs and drug interactions.

Visit your dentist every six months

It’s a well-known fact that bad teeth/gum problems can lead to serious health issues like diabetes, cardiovascular problems, even a stroke. ADA advises brushing your teeth twice daily with a soft-bristled toothbrush and flossing. Regularly cleaning of the dentures should be done in case you may wear that.

Remember to book your appointment with your dentist every six months to keep any cavities or other oral health-related issues under check.

Eating Healthy

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“You are what you eat.” Eating right should be a priority for all age groups. With age, the digestive system slows down, causing indigestion, constipation, and other gastrointestinal problems. The best way to fight this is to keep yourself well hydrated and have a fiber-rich diet. Junk food, processed and fried food, sweets, should be avoided as much as possible.

Senior citizens should alter their diets according to their medical conditions. Like, hypertension patients should limit the intake of sodium-rich foods and salt. Nutritious foods include whole-grain foods, fresh vegetables, and fruits. Try procuring these from your local farmer’s market. Avoid everything that comes from factories. This will help you in maintaining a healthy weight as well.

These days there are many natural supplements available on the market. One of them is CBD based products, all your favorite CBD edibles can help treat many ailments, from sleep troubles to anxiety. Talk to your doctor if you can introduce it into your daily diet for a varied positive effect on your overall wellness.

Also, every once in a while, try going on different diets like the Mediterranean diet, which concentrates on nuts, seeds, olive oil, fruits and vegetables, legumes, and fish. Being low on red meat, dairy products, and processed foods, agrees with the system more.

Exercise the Brain

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While working and having responsibilities, your brain goes through different complexities every day, which helps it keep in shape. After retirement, you need to keep your brain active by keeping yourself involved with new activities. So whether it is traveling, learning a new skill or language, taking a course in a subject of your choice, or a simple task like gardening, make sure the learning process keeps going on to keep you sharp.

Stay physically active

Physical activity and exercising are excellent, not just for your body but also for the soul. Aging takes a significant toll on the muscle mass of the body. So, although great for all age groups, exercising and keeping physically active becomes a must for senior citizens.

Regular exercise improves your balance, contributes to better cognitive functioning, also enhances your mood by reducing feelings of depression and anxiety. It also helps manage some chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, high blood pressure.

Exercising can be as simple as going for a walk with your friends, playing a game, doing yoga. All you need to do is to see what suits your daily schedule the best. If possible, try and incorporate some aerobics, light weights, stretching, and muscle-strengthening into your regime.

Socialize

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With age, it becomes harder to connect with people, which has a very negative impact on the health and the overall wellness of a person. Reaching out to family and friends and being connected has a considerable effect on the mental and physical state of the body and helps ward off severe problems like depression. Staying active socially, mentally, and physically reduces brain cell damage linked to the development of Alzheimer’s. 

So do not shy from reaching out to old friends and making new ones.

You can seek out like-minded people in volunteering groups, gyms, church groups, or groups that link to your areas of interest.

Get proper sleep

7-8 hours of sleep is what the body needs to keep functioning properly. It is during this time that the body heals itself and prepares it for the next day.  With age, the quality of sleep starts getting hampered, and many seniors start facing related problems like insomnia and sleep apnea.

All this is avoidable by following some simple yet effective habits.

  • Do not sleep for more than 30 minutes during the day.
  • Keep your room clutter-free and avoid using all electronics at least one hour before your bedtime.
  • Reduce your caffeine and alcohol intake. Some people mistake alcohol for inducing sleep, whereas studies show that it hampers sleep patterns.
  • Keep your dinner light, and do not eat your meals close to your nap time. Walking after dinner is a great schedule to follow, and it not only helps overall better digestion but also you sleep better.

These tips are quite simple to follow but need some effort initially. Once incorporated into the lifestyle would help you age gracefully, and above all, healthily.

 

General Health & Fitness