Today, people are generally living longer. It is very clear that the population in many developed countries are aging. In 2019, around one in 11 people in the world is over age 65, which accounted for 9% of the population.
Fortunately, aging is different now from it was before. Healthy lifestyles have been promoted in these years and people are trying their best to remain active and stay healthy in the rest of our lives. According to Anti Aging Ninjas here are many ways to keep us “young” while aging.
Here are some tips to keep a healthy senior life:
Tips for Seniors to Stay Healthy
1 Quit unhealthy habits
Quit all unhealthy habits especially smoking. It can help you to improve your health and combat aging. Smoking can cause cancer, strokes and heart attack. Smoking also causes erectile dysfunction in men due to atherosclerosis. For people who care about skin care, smoking should be avoided too as it leads to excessive wrinkling by attacking skin elasticity.
Besides, the intake of alcohol should be controlled. Remember to consult your doctor about safe amounts of alcohol for you to drink.
2. Get active
Active physical activity helps to boost your immune system. The more exercise you do, the more your body becomes active to fight inflammation and infections.
The workout for seniors doesn’t have to be strenuous. Low impact exercises would be effective enough.
You might consider hiking, walking, swimming, or low impact home workout for senior. It would be the best if you could do moderate intensity exercise for around 20 to 30 minutes a day. You can modify your workout routine that best fits you and try to reach the total of 150 minutes of exercise a week.
3. Take supplements as necessary
With some extra supplements, it helps to maintain a solid healthy immune system. The most common supplements that are recommended are vitamins including vitamin D, vitamin B6, or vitamin B12. Calcium is also a supportive supplement especially for seniors. Always consult your doctor before you take any, especially if you’re in any prescription medication.
4. Eat a healthy diet
Healthy diets help to boost your immune system and protect yourself against harmful viruses and bad bacteria. Fruits, vegetables, and lean meats are a good source of antioxidants. Antioxidants can protect your cells from damage and keep your body healthy.
You should also limit your consumption of sugary and fatty foods, which can trigger inflammation in the body and lower your immune system.
5. Manage your stress
Chronic stress can increase your body’s production of the stress hormone cortisol. If too much cortisol has been produced, it can disrupt a few functions in your body and your immune system.
To reduce stress, you can do more exercise, get plenty of sleep, set reasonable expectations for yourself, and try to do relaxing and peaceful activities such as your hobbies.
6. Get plenty of rest
Sleep can reduce your stress level and, most importantly, can let your body repair itself. Therefore, when you get older, getting an adequate amount of sleep has become more important for a stronger immune system. It would help your body to fight against viruses easier.
Sleep is also important for seniors to improve memory and concentration. It is recommended to try to get at least seven and a half to nine hours of sleep every night.
If you have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor to find the underlying cause. Causes of insomnia can include inactivity during the day and too much caffeine. Or it can be a sign of a medical condition like sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome.
7. Stay up-to-date on immunizations and health check.
By age 50, women should begin mammography screening for breast cancer. Men can be checked for prostate cancer. Many preventive screenings are available. Those who are new to Medicare are entitled to a "Welcome to Medicare" visit and all Medicare members to an annual wellness visit. Use these visits to discuss which preventative screenings and vaccinations are due.
8. Prevent falls
When we start to age, we become vulnerable to falls. For seniors, falls can cause serious injury and even death. Regular workout can help you to improve your balance and your strength, so that you can prevent yourself from falling so easily.
Ang is the executive editor for A-Lifestyle.com. She is passionate about beauty, fitness and health topics.