Tag Archives: exercise and mental health

Here’s What You Need to Know to Live Your Golden Years Well

Living healthy isn’t always easy, especially as you age. Fortunately, there are many steps you can take toward preserving your health. From fitness techniques to nutritional support, here’s what you need to know about living healthily well into your golden years.

Living healthy in your golden years means staying active, eating well, staying covered.
Living healthy in your golden years means staying active, eating well, staying covered.

Securing Health Coverage Should be a Priority

Even if you’re currently in good health, it’s a smart idea to maintain health insurance coverage. Fortunately, all seniors qualify for Medicare, though specifics on the program vary by state. In Texas, for example, all adults ages 65 or older are eligible, and preventative services are no-cost.

Medicare covers services like inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facilities, lab tests, surgery, medical equipment, home care, preventative services, and more. It’s a bit confusing because the separate parts—A, B, and healthcare plans—handle different expenses. But overall, Medicare can help you access services you need now, plus other assistance in the future.

Staying Active Isn’t Optional

Remaining active is a requirement for good health. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much effort to get moving, especially if you can go outside each day. Your exercise regimen should consider any pre-existing health problems and be safe for your condition, notes Mayo Clinic. Over-exercising can also pose a risk, so it’s smart to check with your doctor before starting a new fitness routine.

In general, says VeryWellFit, it’s best to raise your heart rate for about 10 minutes at a time when you work out. Fitting aerobic exercise into your schedule at least five days a week is ideal, for about 30 minutes each time.

If you need to stay indoors to stay active, think about options like stretching, swimming, installing a home gym, or using fitness videos. There are easy exercises you can do inside and with little to no equipment. Regular activity will help strengthen your muscles and increase your balance, reducing the chances that you’ll experience a fall.

Food Matters More Than You Might Think

Eating right throughout your life helps keep your entire body healthy. And while your diet impacts bone, eye, and immune health—among other things—it can also affect your cognition. The thing is, if you have mobility challenges or are living on a lower income, it’s often a challenge to make and eat nutritious meals.

Plus, studies note that specific nutritional deficiencies, like a lack of vitamin B6, can have serious effects on your cognitive state and mental health. Adequate folic acid is another important indicator, but too-low B12 combined with high folic acid isn’t good, either.

For seniors, the best strategy for achieving a well-rounded diet is to aim for variety. Include as many fruits and veggies as possible in your daily meals. Whether it’s fresh, canned, or frozen, produce has tons of vitamins and minerals for good health.

Other necessary components for a healthy diet include low-fat dairy, whole grains, high-quality protein from meat, eggs, and legumes, and healthy fats from sources like avocados, olive oil, and nuts.

Sometimes Living Well Requires a Change

It’s excellent to stay fit and independent in your golden years. But no fitness regimen or health plan can replace the ability to tend to your daily needs or care for yourself. If you have difficulty at home, it may be safer and more comfortable for you to consider a move to assisted living.

You can use online search tools and guides to explore the varied assisted living communities and other services that might be able to help. Finding a facility that fits your needs is vital, and the cost is important too, but making sure it’s the right place is the most important factor. This includes the ambiance, the residents, the staff, the food. You need to be able to say to yourself, “Yes, I can see me happily living here.”

Staying healthy isn’t always easy, no matter your age. And maintaining wellness can become a bigger obstacle in your later years—but it doesn’t have to be. With these strategies, you’ll be feeling better and healthier in no time.

Boost Your Mental and Physical Health: Tips for Success

This article is by Travis White of Learnfit.org. Thanks Travis!

Everybody wants to look and feel their best when the spring and summer seasons hit – after all, we all want to wear that bathing suit in public. Making the effort to improve both your mental physical health can go a long way toward reducing stress and increasing energy. Of course, the hardest part is getting started. There are plenty of easy tips that you can incorporate to improve your nutrition and up your physical activity that will have you ready for the warmer months in no time.

Boost your mental and physical health by getting outside and doing something you love.

Boost your mental and physical health by getting outside and doing something you love.

Planning is the key to boosting Mental and Physical Health.

The best way to ensure success when it comes to improving your mental and physical health is to put together a detailed plan. When you start making changes to your diet or activity levels without a clear strategy, you are setting yourself up to fail. Writing down your goals, plans, and progress can be a very effective strategy for improving your health. Keep a journal of what you eat and what activity you do, and be honest so that you can look back at your successes and pinpoint areas of trouble as you move forward.

The spring and summer seasons are ideal for trying to make modifications to your diet to improve your health. Be sure to check out farmers markets that start in the spring, as these are a great resource for fresh, whole foods that are packed with nutrition. Focus on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats to keep you energized and satisfied throughout the day. Be sure to work on cutting out or cutting back on unhealthy choices such as sugary treats and fast food.

Exercise or Activity is a MUST for boosting Mental and Physical Health

Any plan for improving your physical and mental health needs to include regular, moderate exercise. If you don’t like the “E” word, then let’s call it “activity” instead. AZ Central recommends planning for at least 30 active minutes a day, at least five days a week.  Add it to your calendar to help you commit to it. The time of day that you exercise is far less important than getting it done consistently, so consider whether your lifestyle best accommodates a morning, noon, late afternoon, or evening time slot.

Embrace activities that motivate you for the spring and summer seasons, things that you love to do. Focus on walking, running, swimming,  biking, or playing in the surf. Experts also recommend incorporating some strength training at least a couple of times a week into your routine. You don’t necessarily need a gym membership or fancy equipment to do this. You can focus on exercises that use your own body-weight  such as lunges, pushups, crunches and other similar activities to help you build your strength, adding in dumbbells for additional exercises if you’d like.

Small Lifestyle Changes will Greatly Improve Mental and Physical Health

To a large degree, improving your physical health will significantly improve your mental health as well. Focusing on quality nutrition in your diet will help to reduce stress and increase your energy, and the University of Michigan University Health Service notes that helps to improve your mood and decrease anxiety and depression.

The spring and summer months are the ideal time to focus on improving your physical and mental health. Working on improving your health doesn’t have to be overwhelming, as there are plenty of easy ways to incorporate moderate changes that ultimately will have a significant, positive impact. Create a plan of attack with measurable goals and focus on quality nutrition and regular exercise to boost your fitness and reduce your stress levels. Once you commit to lifestyle changes and see some success, you’ll be motivated to keep going and reap the rewards of your hard work as you embrace the warm months.

SaveSave

SaveSave