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 your 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.
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These are all great tips for all of us! Something new can be a new food or restuarant.
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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
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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!
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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!
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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.
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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.
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Great Tips! Thanks for sharing these tips. Hope these tips will help for my grandparents.
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