Authored by: Michael Constanza Picture Credit
Maintaining optimal health is important regardless of age, lifestyle, physical capabilities, and income. However, as you age, maintaining a good level of health becomes more of a priority than a choice. So what habits do you need to adopt to increase your life span and maintain an active lifestyle?
Here are our top six tips worth considering.
Eat a Healthy and Balanced Diet
A healthy and balanced diet is essential to maintaining good physical and mental health. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are among the most nutrient-dense foods. Therefore, incorporating at least two or more of these nutritious meals in every bowl serving can provide the necessary nutrients you need to boost your immunity.
Make it a point to have fresh fruits and vegetables daily as a snack, main course, or dessert. However, if you’re not able to use fresh produce, consider using frozen or canned produce, as they can also make great additions to meals. Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, bulgur wheat, and oats are also tasty options that pack a nutritional punch.
Get Regular Exercise
Regular exercise is essential for older adults who wish to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Keeping active and exercising, even in small amounts, can reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. Additionally, it can help improve balance and coordination, decrease joint stiffness, as well as reduce feelings of isolation by keeping you physically active.
With all these benefits, getting at least 30 minutes each day of exercise can vastly improve your quality of life. So whether it’s taking a walk around the neighborhood or joining an aerobics class with friends, get yourself moving daily.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day is extremely important. Hydration is key for improving energy levels, limiting brain fog, and supporting optimal bodily functions. You can particularly benefit from increased water consumption as drinking enough water helps reduce the risks associated with chronic diseases and has been known to improve heart health, bone density, and joint mobility.
Staying hydrated can also help with regular bowel movements in older adults. Furthermore, drinking adequate amounts of water can even help slow down the visible signs of aging by keeping your skin glowing throughout the day. Implementing a consistent daily routine whereby you drink a few glasses of water is essential for a healthy and active life.
Avoid Smoking and Excessive Alcohol Consumption
It is especially important to pay close attention to your lifestyle and habits. For example, smoking cigarettes, or using any other tobacco product, can lead to a wide range of health problems, such as heart disease and stroke.
Additionally, drinking too much alcohol can increase the risk of liver damage, impaired judgment, and cancer. As a result, you should avoid smoking altogether and should also limit your alcohol consumption in order to protect your health.
Get Enough Sleep
Establishing a proper sleeping routine is important for a healthy lifestyle, especially since you are prone to fatigue and muscle strain. Therefore, you should strive for 7-8 hours of sleep per night to ensure you get the rest your body needs. This can help boost your performance level, maintain alertness, and reduce levels of irritability.
Poor sleep quality can cause serious health problems and adversely affect other aspects of your life, such as disrupting your daily routine. So endeavor to get enough rest every night to care for yourself properly.
Get Regular Checkups and Screenings
As a senior, it is important to stay on top of your physical health, and one of the most effective ways to do so is through regular visits with your doctor. Checkups are essential for maintaining optimal health as they provide you with an opportunity to discuss any changes you have been noticing in your body as well as answer any questions you may have. Additionally, they allow your physician to assess your overall health and suggest any screenings or tests that could be beneficial.
Regular checkups are even more crucial if you already have pre-existing conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, that need to be closely monitored by a healthcare professional. Finally, regularly visiting your doctor can help detect potential issues early when these can often be treated more efficiently than if caught later. So whatever your circumstances may be, make sure to schedule yearly checkups with your physician.
Aside from medical checkups, it is also important to consider purchasing insurance. This is because insurance can cover most of your medical costs. Having a large stack of costly medical bills can cause unnecessary financial strain and stress on your body – which is detrimental to your overall health. However, ensure you do adequate research and make a list of all your needs to make life insurance shopping manageable.
Takeaway
With age comes the need to take extra care of your body and mind. This involves making adjustments that can help improve your longevity and quality of life. Do you have any additional health tips that have helped you stay healthy and fit? Share them with us in the comments below.
About our author: Michael Constanza was born and raised in Boston, MA. He’s a young entrepreneur focused on insurance and wellness advisory.
