Active Aging: 3 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Living a healthy and active lifestyle is important, no matter our age. But for those of us who are more advanced in years, it might be a bit of challenge to stay reasonably fit, full of energy and actively engaged with others.
What can be done to ensure (as best as is possible), that the natural aging process doesn't create an obstacle to being active and living life to its fullest?*
Our friends at MobileHelp provide solutions, services, and innovative products to support safer and healthier living. Towards that end, we'd like to offer the following tips for maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle throughout all the years to come.
* Please Note: Before you start any new exercise routine, or change your dietary plan, please consult with your physician.
1. Focus on Sound Nutrition
Stay hydrated It's important to drink plenty of fluids, even when you think you're not thirsty. Small cups of water or unsweetened juice, a few times during the day is fine, as long as you aim for at least six glasses of liquid daily.
Fill up on vegetables and fruits Adding vegetables and dark fruits to your diet is a wonderful way to get the vitamins you need. Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries are high in antioxidants, while vegetables are loaded with fiber that can aid digestion and keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Fortify your bones Our bones tend to lose calcium and grow weaker and more brittle as we get older. Vitamin D is essential to combat age-related loss of bone density. If you can tolerate it, drink low fat milk, and eat yogurt to strengthen your bones.
2. Keep Moving
Stretch Can you raise your arms above your head? Can you touch your knees while standing? Are you able to tie shoelaces? Maintaining a healthy range of motion as we age will help with overall balance, reduce aches and pains, and improve circulation. Check with a healthcare professional to find the most suitable flexibility exercises for you.
Walk Establishing a walking routine, even a daily stroll along a corridor, around the block or casually through the local mall, is one sure way to develop physical endurance, maintain muscle strength and improve mobility with aging. Get medical advice first and try walking to reap many health benefits over time.
Weights and Resistance For those who can, taking part in some form of resistance training (light weightlifting, moving through water) can have positive results. Walking in a pool helps to build strength and improve mobility with little to no stress on the joints. If you don’t have access to a pool, lifting very light to moderate weights may be a viable alternative. Ask your doctor for advice on what what's best for you.
If you like being outdoors and are concerned about falling, perhaps an automatic fall detection system or alert pendant may be an option. MobileHelp offers a range of personal emergency response solutions that can provide emergency assistance in all 50 states, at the push of a button, while out and about.
3. Spend Time with Others
Social interaction is one of the key components to healthy aging. Being around others can lift our mood, stave off loneliness and enhance our daily lives with deeper meaning and greater instances of joy. The following activities are effective ways to keep our bodies and minds active, reduce the risk of depression and may even help to delay the onset of cognitive decline and/or dementia:
Volunteering
Attending a house of worship
Joining a local club or hobby group
So, whatever it takes, get out there and have some fun with others.
Bonus Healthy Living Tip: Take Time to Rest
Finally, get adequate sleep. A restful night's sleep not only helps to clear the mind, but it also helps to give the brain a chance to reinvigorate and reset. Get a good night's sleep when you can. You'll wake up refreshed and ready to embrace the possibilities of a new day!
Staying healthy, alert, mobile and active tends to get a little harder as we get older. But the good news is that there are several proven, safe, and effective ways to live a healthy lifestyle regardless of age. MobileHelp is here to offer the support, services, and information necessary to assist along this journey. We want you to enjoy living well, safer, and healthier. Reach out to us for additional insights.
MobileHelp is a leading provider of mobile Personal Emergency Response Systems (mPERS). MobileHelp mPERS devices are integrated with nationwide wireless voice, data, and GPS technology to provide real-time medical alert monitoring services and expedited personal emergency assistance. In addition, MobileHelp offers proactive health management services through its healthcare division, Clear Arch Health. Visit https://www.mobilehelp.com/
