Everyone’s expectations about old age differ, but no one anticipates some of the challenges older adults face as they age. Some chronic conditions prevalent among seniors, like arthritis, can make it difficult to perform even routine activities. Senior health is both preventative and immediate. Leading a healthy lifestyle will help you embrace your age without limiting your opportunities to enjoy life. Creating a personalized health plan and utilizing the right resources will allow you to thrive in your senior years despite any challenges you may have. Below are four health tips for seniors that can improve your well-being and make you feel better in your daily life.
Stay Social
Feeling supported and connected to others is important for everyone, but many seniors wind up isolated after retirement. You may have lost friends from old age or illness, not have any immediate family and live most of your days alone. Loneliness can be an ailment in and of itself. It raises your stress levels, increases your risk of developing depression and makes you feel like you’re the only one in the world who cares about you. Consider joining a virtual senior center or senior meet-up groups in your community. This can help you alleviate loneliness, build new friendships and find a sense of belonging among others.
Take Care of Your Finances
If you’re struggling to make ends meet, know that there are options to live more comfortably. You may consider borrowing a home equity loan, applying for a personal loan or even settling your life insurance policy. If you have cancer or another terminal illness, you could also sell your life insurance through a viatical settlement. Viatical settlements allow people with limited life expediencies to access money they need to live out the rest of their lives in comfort. This guide explains everything you need to know about how a viatical settlement works. Seniors struggle to pay bills when they live entirely off social security benefits. If this is the case for you, please review these financial help resources for seniors that may be able to assist.
Stay as Active as You Can
Even if you are unable to perform full-body exercises, there are ways to stay fit and feel good. Chair exercises for seniors help you get a good cardio workout even if you have limited mobility. Other options of fitness for seniors include walking, swimming and water aerobics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults 65 and older perform at least 150 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise per week. You should also perform muscle strengthening exercises at least two days per week. If you are physically unable to do this, then you should do what you can to the best of your abilities. Talk to your doctor about coming up with a personal fitness plan that works for your body.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
Depression is highly common among seniors, especially those who live alone. If you are struggling with chronic pain, anxiety, feelings of sadness or isolation, there are options to help. Senior counseling services are designed to meet your unique needs and respect your lived experiences as an older adult. There are also free senior hotlines you can reach out to if you’re feeling lonely and need a friendly person to talk to.
This post was last modified on September 26, 2022 6:19 pm