You want to live longer? Here are five proven ways to enjoy your senior years.
1. Choosing what you eat: the Japanese have a very simple way to ensure that every meal is as nutritious as possible: ensure that the food on your plate comes in five colors. This is like saying always include fruits and veggies inyour meal. For example, you may include melons, yams, tomatoes, carrots, and broccoli. After all, seniors have a greater pressure to carefully choose what they eat on a daily basis, if only to stave off the progression of aging-related health problems. There are specific food groups that have specific health benefits, but generally, a diet that is high in fruits and vegetables and low in fat is the key to a healthy, disease-free life.
This article would not be enough to discuss in painstaking detail all the recommended food groups seniors should eat, but suffice it to say that the more fruits and veggies you include in your daily diet, the better it is. Seniors need a lot of fiber and calcium, as well as a host of other vitamins and minerals, and they would not get a sufficient amount of these needed nutrients if their diet is strictly lacking in diversity or freshness. Moreover, trying to take the shortcut by taking vitamin supplements instead of eating fruits and veggies may do more harm than good. One good example is vitamin E—only one synthetic form of this vitamin is supplied through capsules, whereas in nature, the same vitamin exists in many forms, and scientists do not know exactly how these differences work inside the body. So if you get your supply of vitamin E through capsules or pills alone, you are at risk of damaging some internal organ, mainly your liver. Also, carefully “senior-proofing” your diet also means you will have to significantly reduce your sodium intake (meat loaf, spam, anything that is salty or pickled) and avoid “bad” carbs (white flour, refined sugar, white rice).
2. Yoga: this ancient system of breathing and stretching postures has been known to provide relief from the multiple chronic disorders that plague most seniors. For example, there are certain yoga positions that can improve the sleeping habits of seniors—the sleep will be deeper and of higher quality. Chronic pain can also be alleviated by yoga, as well as reduce blood pressure (a huge benefit, as most drugs meant to reduce blood pressure have deleterious side effects), and improve the body’s range of motion and flexibility (which then reduces the senior’s risk of accidental falls). An important caveat, however: not all yoga formations or positions can benefit seniors. In fact, according to the findings of a recent New York Times article, yoga can literally “wreck your body” and cause serious injuries. So do not attempt to do any yoga position on your own, especially when there’s no one around to come to your aid. Always seek the help of an expert yoga instructor, preferably one with a good track record of helping out seniors.
3. Exercising: even if you’re well into your sixties or seventies, you should and must still perform routine workouts, but only keep it commensurate with your age and physical condition. If you had spent the past several years working at an office in a largely sedentary capacity, then suddenly springing to action on the treadmill can be fatal.
4. Staying physically active: Health experts say that when you stop moving, you begin to die. Despite the obviously morbid pronouncement, it makes perfect sense. When you spend days sitting at home doing basically sedentary stuff, your internal organs—primarily your heart—gradually suffer from decreasing vitality. When the heart is not regularly “challenged,” it becomes at risk of conking out at the next physical exertion.
Some ways to get encouragement in staying physically fit is by looking for local seniors organizations in your area and take part in their activities. Usually, there is a seniors organization that focuses on helping the said demographic group receive support. In our local community, for instance, there is a “walking group” whose sole goal is to encourage seniors take long walks in the mornings—surely, walking with a large group is easier than when you’re walking alone; it’s safer, too.
5. Staying connected and engaged: the results of several studies indicate that isolation, especially in old age, contributes to depression in the elderly and decreasing mental sharpness. Those who have no social life or do not participate in community activities are at risk the most. You can start by checking out some social networking sites, or checking out the scheduled activities of your local community’s socio-civic organizations. Take part, forge new friendships, and always, always be nice.
Indeed, there are many fun and fulfilling ways for seniors to live longer, healthier lives—you only have to seek them out and take these methods to heart.
