THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2018 BUT WAS UPDATED ON 6/21/2021
As we age, it becomes increasingly important to make healthy choices in our daily lives. From the foods we eat to the amount of physical activity we get, there are many ways to improve our physical and mental health. Even if you’re a senior, it’s never too late to start participating in health-conscious activities. Your self-care may not roll back the clock, but it can potentially add years to your life by helping prevent Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and other ailments.
Here are some tips for seniors on how to improve their mental and physical health:
Owning a Pet
Our family pets can play an important role in our mental and physical health as well. Scientists already know that pets can improve one’s overall happiness. Did you know that owning a pet has many physical health benefits as well? Believe it or not, pet ownership has been linked to:
- Decreased blood pressure, cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels
- Decreased loneliness
- Increased opportunities for exercise and socialization
To enjoy all the benefits of being a pet owner, plan to spend time with your pet each day. If you’re a dog owner, take your outside for regular treks to the dog park. The fresh air, sunshine and exercise will be healthy for you both.
To find the nearest dog park, check out a site like Rover.com, which offers city-by-city listings. Here’s a quick sampling: San Jose, Portland, Knoxville, Madison, Indianapolis, Albuquerque, Miami, Calgary, Saint Paul and Raleigh.
Additionally, the CDC cautions pet owners to take proper care of their pets. Because it is actually possible for humans to get sick from their pets, it’s important that you regularly take your pet to the veterinarian, bathe your pet as instructed, and practice good hygiene in your household. By keeping your pet healthy, you can keep yourself healthy, too.
Going for a Walk
Although some seniors do engage in vigorous workout sessions at the gym each week, this is not a realistic (or safe) goal for most people. A healthier place to start might be walking around your neighborhood or exercising under the supervision of a trained physical therapist.
A recent study found that “low-intensity exercise might offer both physical and cognitive health benefits to older adults aged 65 to 85 years.” Both genders experienced health benefits but women saw even more of a benefit than men.
Best of all, the same benefits were experienced from a variety of movement techniques, including chair-sitting exercise, Tai Chi, walking, and more.
As with any exercise, start slowly and always listen to your body. Remember: the goal is not to injure yourself, but to make yourself stronger and healthier.
Bonding with Grandchildren
Spending time with your grandchildren is not only enjoyable; it’s also good for you! A recent study published in a women’s health journal showed that postmenopausal women experienced cognitive benefits from simply being around their grandchildren.
According to the study, levels of regular social interaction were shown to be beneficial to the women’s mental health, possibly even delaying the onset of dementia and related conditions.
Trying Something New
In addition to the tips listed above, earning a new skill or participating in a new activity can be a great way to keep your mind sharp as you age. Growing older doesn’t mean you have to give up on enjoying your life, staying healthy, or challenging your mind.
You can keep your body and mind healthy and happy by taking part in your favorite activities or by simply being willing to try something new.
Oh, my goodness yes! All of the above!
These are all wonderful. When my Mom was deep in her dementia, we spent hours looking at photo albums. It helped reawaken her relationships.
These are all great tips for all of us! Something new can be a new food or restuarant.
Great reminders! Thank you!
I’m doing all of these – hopefully it will make getting older less onerous (nice to be able to tick some boxes for a change!)
Considering and following through with all of these wonderful suggestions can be facilitated by making many of them a habit in earlier years.
Hi Rena! I am happy to say that I am doing three out of four of these and completely agree that they are important. The only thing I would definitely add is to have a positive attitude and look forward to getting older for all the benefits it can bring. We are so fortunate to be alive these days with all the research and news that leads to living longer and healthier right? Thanks for the reminders! ~Kathy
I was pretty surprised when I found out that bone density and lean muscle slowly decrease starting at the age of 35!
I don’t know about you but I didn’t take exercise seriously when I was younger, and I’m starting to realize how much harder it is now.
My joints make noises and muscle soreness lasts much longer if I try pushing it as hard as I used to.
The good news is that personal training is becoming more affordable and most personal training programs use a training model that takes age into account, starting off by building flexibility, balance, and core stability, then working up to safe resistance training that will help to slightly increase bone mass.
Anyhow, thanks for the post!
Of all the family members, seniors need our attention the most. We may not know what physical or emotional pain they might be going through so we should always show them love and care.
Hi, Rena! great post! I really find your tips awesome and useful. So, I included one of them in our recent mental health tips roundup which you can read here: freemedsuppquotes.com/mental-health-tips-retirement. I’ve been an avid reader of your site for a long time now, and I can say that your articles are always very informative. Keep it up!
I hope as I get older I will still be able to care for all of my animals. God knows they provide me with so much love and affection I don;t know what I would do without them. If worst comes to worse and I can’t keep my dogs at least hope I will still be able to keep my reef aquarium. The beauty of the tank is enough to lower my blood pressure on its own.
Hello Rena, Something new can be another nourishment or eatery. At the point when my Mom was somewhere down in her dementia, we invested hours taking a gander at photograph collections. It stirred her connections. I trust as I get more established I will, in any case, have the capacity to think about the majority of my creatures. God knows they furnish me with so much love and friendship I don’t comprehend what I would manage without them. Coincidentally, a debt of gratitude is in order for share. 🙂
To keep our elders health good, we need to spend some quality time with them and also help them do some exercises so that they can keep themselves fit and away from the disease like varicose veins, heart problems etc. And yeah your tips about keeping the pet sounds good.
What are the very first signs of Alzheimer’s?
Great Tips! Thanks for sharing these tips. Hope these tips will help for my grandparents.
Mental health is an important part for human life. Many children and adults affected my mental hesitation which is critical issue for mental development. Learn more from Darren Leukefeld
Hi, your all the tips are outstanding and very informative for me. Your best tips is that listen to the motivational speakers that are good for you and your health. It becomes very difficult to continue with the original plan if it too strict or boring. I also make a plan for a health tips.
Amazing tips! Thank you.
Superb article, All of the food you mentioned above is really tasty and the good thing which you said is healthy too, I will keep in mind your tips and I am a very diet conscious person so definitely will stick to this diet to stay healthy, thanks.
Great article. This article is really well written and I agree with everything you said. Having a healthy lifestyle change your life so much, you feel more motivated, you feel productive and you feel more active.
Really nice article. Keep it up.
Hi Rena,
I was researching about health and nutrition today, and your website popped up. These were the article that I was reading.
Your initiative demands praise. Great stuff! Thanks. Anyways have a great day. Please keep posting your articles.
By optimistic, think positive, be good…. Proceed ahead with a hope of a brighter and happier tomorrow with higher achievements. Look at your life with a new perspective. You will soon experience a welcome change in everything, your life will now have anew meaning, a superior goal…..
Thanks for this awesome post. For me, its not always a difficult thing to read this insightful post but consistency is the issue .. lol but i love the tips. thanks
Thanks, your website is very useful. Thanks for sharing. This is a great article to know about mental ans physical health. And I appropriate your information.
Thank you so much for Amazing tips!
Many people choose to see a chiropractor as an alternative to taking pain relief medication, and the inevitable side effects than can occur.
Owning a pet and spending time with grandchildren are the best things to reduce stress. My grandchildren are very cute and supporting they help me with all my problems.
Great article! These tips can come handy while taking care of seniors as well. Senior safety is highly important.
Dear author, I am very pleased to read your artilce. It’s very helpful for the people also pet. Our pet is not different from our family. We also keep them healthier. Thanks for the very important topic. Write some differnt topic for keeping mental health well.
Thank you so much for useful tips!
Thanks for sharing this great tips for seniors. I would like to know this tips to y old father and I think it is essential for him.
I have already forward this link to my father who is now at 76. I hope these will help him a lot to maintain a good physical health.
My dad spends good time with my children and I really like that as it helps him to stay relax and enjoy.
Hey, You have shared a great article! It is important for our elders to be mentally and physically fit. The ideas that you have shared for the sake of seniors are great. I always take my father to walk and also tell my children to spend time with him. Nowadays, our elders should use a mask whenever they go out because of pollution. Keep sharing useful articles like this.
My grandfather needs to go into a senior care center this year. He does have a wonderful yellow lab dog that has been his best friend for a while. It is good to know that owning a pet can help keep him healthy both mentally and physically. It seems like we should find a center that will allow him to keep his pet or let his dog visit him.
Thanks for sharing these great tips. We are so fortunate to be alive these days with all the research and news that leads to living longer and healthier right? Thanks for the reminders!
Thank you for this amazing article and till will surely help us to stay health.
Of all the family members, seniors need our attention the most. We do not know what physical or emotional pain they must be going through, so we should always show them love and care.
It’s good to know from your article that seniors can take a walk and exercise around the neighborhood under the guidance of a physical therapist. My grandmother told me that she feels bored at home and there are times when she can’t feel her legs because she does nothing all day. Maybe I can look into physical therapy clinics and see if we can do something about her situation.
Chiropractic care can save you a ton of money when it’s all said and done. In fact, some patients have saved as much as 50% by going to a chiropractor rather than using a traditional treatment and medication plan.
Such a hard disease to deal with. It’s so important to have people around you that can support you and provide dignity during this process.