Aging is one of the only facts of life that is totally unavoidable, but thankfully it’s more than possible to lay the foundations so that you can enjoy a healthy, happy retirement feeling as fit as fiddle.
There are many different senior health tips that you can make the most of to stay well as you age, and it couldn’t be easier to change your lifestyle so that you can promote ultimate health for years to come.
So, if you’re interested in learning more about how you can stay fit and well as you age, then simply read on to discover more!
Eat A Nutritionally Rich Diet High In Protein
One of the most essential steps that you must follow if you want to enjoy later life with boundless energy and a strong immune system involves eating a nutritionally rich diet that is high in protein. The food that you eat contributes massively towards your physical and mental well-being, as making the wrong choices could cause you to encounter a whole host of problems and dangers that could have easily been avoided.
A poor diet made up of processed junk food can lead you to fall victim to issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and worse, and you can expect to feel sluggish and tired at the best of times due to the lack of vitamins and minerals that your mind and body so desperately crave.
Changing your eating habits so that you can reap the rewards of a healthy, balanced diet is the best course of action, as you can repair and even reverse the side effects of your past poor diet choices in a matter of months. Each of your meals should be made up of 3 main food groups – a healthy source of protein, some complex carbohydrates and a large serving of fruit or vegetables.
Protein is vital as you age, especially sources like oily fish and avocado that are high in fatty acids which are essential for heart and brain health amongst many other things. An average day of eating that incorporates the ideas detailed above might be Greek yoghurt with granola and berries for breakfast, toasted whole wheat bread with avocado, tomato and eggs for lunch, and a piece of salmon with brown rice and broccoli for dinner.
Learn To Love Low Impact Exercise
Another key step that you should aim to follow if you want to stay fit and healthy as you age involves learning to love low impact exercise. It’s fair to say that your energy (and motivation) levels can dip in later life, especially after you retire and begin to make the most of your spare time by lounging around to achieve total relaxation.
However, avoiding regular exercise can be very detrimental for your well-being as a whole, as it’s an essential aspect of a healthy lifestyle that you need to factor into your daily schedule. You don’t need to go out for a 10 kilometer run or join up to a local boxing gym, as this will likely be too high impact and increase your chances of falling victim to an injury.
Instead, explore the option of low impact exercise that can help you to burn fat and strengthen your muscles and bones without putting too much pressure on your body. There are so many different types of low impact exercise that you can experiment with, from stretching yoga to swimming and pool aerobics.
It’s best to exercise for at least 30-60 minutes a day to maintain the best possible well-being and fitness levels, and although this may seem like a lot, even something simple as taking yourself out for a quiet stroll around the park or getting busy with some housework can contribute.
Stay Social & Get Out As Often As You Can
Staying social should be your next priority, as it’s essential for great mental health during retirement. Socialization helps to keep both your mind and body active, allowing you to get out of the house to get some fresh air while creating fun memories with your nearest and dearest at the same time.
Organizing get-togethers with your friends and family can also give you something to look forward to, as retirement can often feel a little overwhelming when you aren’t too sure how to fill your free time. It doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive to stay social, as there are many different ideas that you can make the most of to start getting out and about more frequently.
You can sign up to a local class or club, as there’s bound to be a range of opportunities from art related classes like still life drawing and watercolor painting to community clubs that care for the local environment and wildlife. This can be a great way to meet new people, as new members will join all of the time and you can form some great friendships near to your home for total convenience.
If you already have lots of friends and family to meet up with, then why not arrange a weekly meet up for coffee and a catch up? You can spend a couple of hours in your favorite coffee chatting over a slice of cake, or even head out for dinner to enjoy an evening out with your nearest and dearest.
The more time that you can spend around other people, the happier you are likely to be. Isolation can be terrible as you age, as it can make you extremely unhappy and even discourage you from taking part in every day tasks due to them seeming somewhat worthless, so don’t make the mistake of spending too much time by yourself.
Do Puzzles, Read Books & Keep Your Brain Active
To further ensure that your brain can remain in the best possible state, doing some puzzles, reading books or magazines and performing other similar activities can be of real benefit during later life. Allowing yourself to fall into the trap of watching hour after hour of daytime television will be a terrible experience, as you’ll soon find yourself feeling sluggish and uninspired to say the very least.
Unfortunately, avoiding any mental challenging activities can also increase the likelihood of falling victim to conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s, so it truly is an essential hobby that you should consider pursuing to maintain the best mental health possible.
Getting yourself a little puzzle book that contains activities such as crosswords, sudoku, word searches and other similar fun games that challenge you in a lighthearted and enjoyable way is the best course of action, as you can get into a puzzle almost anywhere – on the bus, at home, or even in bed when you’re trying to drift off!
If you aren’t really into this kind of thing then don’t fret, as getting stuck into a good book can be just as effective. There are so many different genres and authors that you can read, from informative guides to magazine or news articles and even imaginative fiction books that transport you to a different world.
Anything that is able to keep your mind active and working will be of real benefit for your mental health and memory, so there’s truly no time like the present to get more involved with such activities for the sake of your mind as a whole.
Make Sure You Stay Covered
There are numerous different conditions, illnesses and injuries that you may fall victim to when you reach later life, some of which are totally unavoidable. Whether you need diagnosis, urgent medical treatment or ongoing medication and support, it’s vital that you can stay covered with the best possible insurance plan so that you do not find yourself in financial difficulty.
Paying for all of the necessary healthcare services without any kind of insurance may cost you more than hundreds of thousands of dollars, and this could be something that you just aren’t able to afford. Instead, if you were to take out a full coverage health insurance plan that includes a variety of different conditions and illnesses, then you will no doubt gain a much more affordable deal or potentially even get some services free of charge (besides your usual monthly insurance fee).
Finding the most cost effective health insurance plan should always be your main focus, as you need to make sure that the monthly fee you pay is reflected in the amount of services or discounts that you can benefit from. Your Medicare costs or insurance plan may actually be too expensive for your specific situation if you don’t currently have any long term conditions, so make sure you look into different providers and their unique plans before you make a final decision.
Staying well as you age has never been so simple when you can make the most of the brilliant senior health care tips that have been carefully described above! Growing old gracefully is more achievable than ever, so what are you waiting for?