Aging in Grace: How to Keep Your Health in Check as You Grow Older
Introduction
I have the realization that time is not on our side every single day. I can recall instances when I was ten years old as if it happened a year or so ago. I still feel the intense emotions I experienced while delivering my two-year-old daughter as if it happened a few months ago.
Our memories keep us young, but our bodies age over time. Coming to terms with this can be challenging. I can only imagine how difficult it can be for older generations to accept this fact of life. Do not get me wrong; aging can be just as thrilling as it is frightening.
The more you age, the more you grow wiser and gain more memories and life-long friendships and family to share those memories with. With more experience and knowledge over the years, life gets easier, and you can learn to enjoy it more.
Life can even grow less expensive since senior citizens are offered discounts, and there is the potential of less expensive car insurance for pensioners. Despite life growing more exciting and enjoyable with age, your body is still aging with time. There are certain habits you should pick up to combat this instance.
EAt Healthier Foods
The first and most important thing you should change when you get older is your diet. Your body cannot withstand the same amount of processed foods that it could in your younger years. This is because your digestive system slows down with age. So high-fiber fruits, whole grains, and vegetables are crucial to help your digestive system keep functioning well.
Aside from avoiding processed foods as much as possible and consuming healthier fruits and vegetables, your water consumption should increase as well. Drinking water helps keep you energized, promotes cell regeneration, and keeps you hydrated.
Staying healthy by making nutritional changes over the years is key to aging in grace.
Seek Out Prevention Instead of Waiting for Problems
Preventative care visits with dental specialists, primary physicians, eye specialists, and any other doctors specific to your health are a necessity. Besides preventive care visits, you should be getting regular health screenings for cholesterol levels, colon cancer, heart problems, and preventive screenings.
Taking the initiative to get vaccinations that can prevent pneumonia and influenza should be considered as well. Certain diseases and infections like pneumonia or even the seasonal flu can easily threaten the livelihood of senior citizens.
Take Managing Medication Serious
As you grow older, you can start to lose short-term memory, which makes you forget to take vital medication. Combating these situations with pill organizers or note-pads can prevent you from missing medication that is significant to your well-being. You could even set up a recurring alarm on your phone to go off when it's time to take your medicine.
If you are intentionally avoiding taking medication because you don't believe you should be taking it, consult with the physician who prescribed it to you immediately. In most cases, doctors prescribe medicines because it is the best route to take.
Older individuals frequently deal with seasonal depression. Doctors may prescribe certain medications for a short, temporary time. Aside from officially prescribed medications, if you have allergies, the medicine associated with it should be managed and organized.
Stay Connected with Other People
The best way to stay mentally and emotionally healthy is by staying connected with people. You can do this by socializing with friends that you can still contact and by spending time with your family and grandchildren.
If you have mobility issues, reach out to receive help and equipment to help you get around. Visiting and actively talking with people can help seniors feel more energized, lively, and upbeat.
Take Care of your Mental Health
Your brain is aging with you, so you want to partake in activities that can help keep it strong. Reading, writing, participating in puzzles, and word games can help this. These are good ways to exercise the most important muscle in your body (your brain).
Even trying new hobbies can stimulate your brain and ward off the decline of mental health.
Stay as Physically Active as Possible
If you can, do simple exercises to get your heart pumping and to keep unnecessary weight from piling on. If you can't do high-intense exercises, you can do low-intensity movements for at least 30 minutes a day to get the blood flowing and heart pumping.
Taking long and short walks are just as effective as doing specific exercise routines, so if that is all you can do, that is fine! You can even do a variety of walking exercises without even leaving your home.
Before starting up any more intense exercises or any routine you have concerns about, consult your doctor. They will be able to give you the green light, and if not, they can provide you with alternatives. If you have specific pains or old injuries, your doctor can provide you with exercises to do or teach you how to lift weights with a bad hip safely.
Take Steps to Stay Healthy
If senior citizens do the work to keep their mental, emotional, and physical health intact, it is not impossible for them to age in grace. It also allows them to stay active, do more things on their own, and gives them more time to hang out with their family and friends.
Naturally, older people deal with more medical problems. Still, they can combat this and diminish the symptoms associated with their conditions by doing these simple things. To better take control of their health, senior citizens should take advantage of free physicals. Free physicals are offered during the first 12 months of medicare.
Outside of Medicare, some physicians discount physicals for senior citizens or offer it for free completely. With most, if not all, insurance policies, annual wellness visits, and check-ups are given freely to senior citizens and everyone.
If you have a senior citizen in your life, you should take the initiative and help them add these habits to their lifestyles.
About the Author
Imani Francies writes and researches for the auto insurance comparison site, BuyAutoInsurance.com. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media and specializes in various forms of media marketing.
About Carex Health Brands
Carex is your one-stop shop for home medical equipment and for products that assist caregivers with providing the best possible support and care for their loved ones. Carex Health Brands has been the branded leader in in-home, self-care medical products for over 35 years. Our goal is to improve the lives of our customers by bring them quality products that bring dignity back to their lives. With our three nationally distributed brands, Carex Health Brands serves national, regional and independent food, drug and mass retailers along with wholesalers, distributors and medical dealers.
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