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5 Essential Health and Wellness Tips for Seniors
Our bodies go through many changes as we age, but this doesn’t mean we’re destined to live our senior years in poor health. If you are a senior or taking care of one, there are numerous preventative steps that seniors can take to avoid disease, prevent injury, and support the resilience of their mental health.
Whether they live independently or in a living center like the one at chelseaseniorliving.com/locations/the-chelsea-at-manalapan/ that offers multiple living and care services for active and less-active seniors, here are a few concrete ways seniors can discover greater well-being.
1. Take Advantage of Supplements
Due to natural changes in the body, seniors need fewer calories than younger adults — this can lead to nutrient deficiencies which negatively impact health, energy levels, and overall quality of life. Consider supplementing your diet with calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, potassium, magnesium, and omega-3’s to ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need to support your body and mind.
Seniors can also benefit from supplementing with Cannabidiol, or CBD oil. Research shows that CBD has several mental and physical health benefits, relieving anxiety, reducing inflammation, and easing chronic pain. Though this compound comes from cannabis, it is non-psychoactive and will not get you high. If you’re being held back by chronic pain, try supplementing with CBD oil instead of turning to addictive pain medication. Check out Remedy Review for a complete CBD oil buyer’s guide.
2. Use Technology to Stay Safe
Technology can help you stay connected to your loved ones and banish loneliness, but it can also help keep you safe. Seniors with mobility issues or weakness can reduce their risk of sustaining serious injuries at home with medical alert systems. This technology can be set up to automatically detect falls or allow you to contact your family members and medical professionals if you have an accident. Having this safety net available at all times can give you more independence and comfort in your own home, significantly improving your quality of life.
3. Consider Moving to The City
If you’re living out in the middle of nowhere, now is the time to think about moving into town. According to Business Insider, seniors move to cities for better public transportation, walkability, disability-friendly infrastructure, and proximity to healthcare centers. Being in the city also makes it easier for seniors to create social connections, staving off the problems with cognitive decline and heart disease that accompany prolonged loneliness.
4. Give Your Days Purpose
Many people in retirement struggle to find purpose in their lives. According to the Chicago Tribune, seniors who feel that they have long and short-term goals enjoy greater strength, less stress, and a general sense of well-being. Something as simple as caring for a pet, growing a garden, or volunteering in the community can add purpose to your days and help you feel fulfilled.
5. Exercise One Step at a Time
Everyone knows that exercise plays a crucial role in health, but many seniors find it difficult to exercise due to pain, disability or illness. Fortunately, there are plenty of senior-friendly workouts and aerobic activities you can try. You can even exercise from a chair! Walking is fairly easy for most people and provides several long-term benefits. If you haven’t walked in a while, start with 10-minute walks and increase these by 5 minutes every week. Once you’ve reached a comfortable walking session of 30 minutes, work on increasing your walking speed for greater health benefits. Just remember to take it slow and listen to your body. In the end, any amount of exercise is better than nothing.
It’s never too late to improve your health. Seniors can boost their quality of life by taking control over their mental and physical health. Though it can be extremely difficult to change established habits or make alterations to your comfortable routine, incorporating healthy activities into your day-to-day life will have a significant impact on how you feel in the long run.
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