How to Age Happily and Healthily
Don’t let old age scare you and stop you from enjoying your life to the fullest. Just because you’re aging, it doesn’t mean you can give up on yourself! Check out these tips that will help you have happy and healthy senior years.
Ensure a good diet
This might be obvious, but having a healthy and balanced diet is the key to happy aging. A diet full of protein, good fats and healthy carbs will keep you strong and full of energy and help you fight various health issues that come with age. Your balanced diet will also ensure cardiovascular health and help control your cholesterol and blood pressure. You can also consult your doctor and see if you can introduce some supplements to your diet.
Stay active
There are always ways to incorporate some exercise into your life. You can take up swimming (easy on the joints) or try yoga (excellent for flexibility). However, make sure not to neglect strength exercises. Lifting weights can help you retain your muscle mass and keep your bones strong and healthy.
Nurture social relationships
Having healthy social relationships is more important than you think. It will do wonders for your mental state, make you feel happy, loved and useful. However, many elderly, especially those with complicated mobility and health issues often experience loneliness that can have negative effects on the overall wellbeing. But, there are various senior living programs that provide the elderly with assistance and those precious social relationships they lack. For instance, Mark Moran Vaucluse retirement homes have cafes, cinemas, shopping opportunities and various group classes that allow residents to form and maintain friendships. Aside from amazing entertainment and fitness programs, they also offer 24/7 nursing care tailored to fit the residents’ needs.
Do what makes you happy
One of the often neglected, but very important aspects of healthy aging is doing things that bring you joy and meaning. As you age, your life changes, you retire, your mobility decreases and your friends and family leave and disperse all over the world. Some aspects might bring you sadness, but senior years can also bring you plenty of joy and excitement if you let them. You finally have enough time to take up a new hobby, revisit your old passions, learn new skills and visit new places. If you do some of these activities, you’ll see that getting older is the best thing that ever happened to you!
Exercise your brain
Keeping your brain active and engaged brings many benefits to your mind and body. It prevents cognitive decline, it improves memory and has wonderful effects on your mood and happiness. Exercising your brain is especially important if you’re retired and don’t get a lot of physical exercise (being physically active also engages your mind). Try to learn something new every day, read, do crosswords and Sudokus or solve puzzles. You can also organize weekly game nights with your friends or join a bridge or chess club.
Sleep soundly
Many seniors often experience sleeping problems. The less active lifestyle, hormones and medication can all affect your sleep cycle, so make sure to do your best to get at least 7 hours of rest a night to allow your body to heal and regenerate. If you boost physical activity, cut naps, lay off caffeine before bed and create a healthy bedtime routine, you’ll sleep like a baby and feel much better in the morning.
If you put in some effort and take good care of your health, your senior years will be filled with fun, excitement and friendship!