These 4 Steps Make Healthy Living Simple for Seniors
Eating well, exercising, and maintaining overall wellness — these are basic health goals that we should all strive to achieve. For seniors, these goals become even more important as your health needs change, especially if you’re living with a chronic disease like diabetes. But don’t let the fears that tag along with illness bog you down.
Change can be hard, which is why we suggest these four simple steps for healthy aging that are child’s play to manage on a consistent basis.
Check in with Yourself.
Your doctor is the expert on medical issues, but that doesn’t mean you should wait until your next visit to pay attention to your overall health. Diabetes Forecast explains that we should all be mindful of any changes in our health, such as a drop in energy or signs of memory loss. Your doctor is the go-to person to address these changes, but they can’t help the situation if you ignore problems or accept them as a normal part of aging.
One thing to keep in mind is how changes to your health impact your ability to live well. Keep a journal or a diary that you read to yourself each week. If you’re having a harder time doing everyday tasks, especially if that means you can’t care for yourself like you used to, you may want to consider options for assisted living.
Many seniors are reluctant to make this change, but it can actually be empowering to make this choice yourself before it feels like the decision is out of your control. The easiest way to find an assisted living center that’s right for you is to start your search online before picking a few places to visit. For example, A Place for Mom works with 50 assisted living facilities in the Los Angeles area, and the company’s experts and advisors can help you find the best place for your needs.
Make the Most of Medicare.
Most seniors have some version of Medicare for their healthcare coverage, either a traditional plan or Medicare Advantage. The most important thing is to make good use of your benefits because they’re there to help you stay well. Of course, the most essential tip is to see your physician and any specialists regularly to stay on top of any concerns you have.
This is especially important for diabetics since you may have an increased risk of developing diabetic-related conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy that affects your vision.
It’s also good to look into any other benefits you have in addition to regular healthcare visits. For example, some Medicare options cover therapeutic shoes for diabetics; and there are many other programs available too, including food, transportation, property tax relief, and volunteer opportunities.
Consider your new lifestyle change a hobby, allotting a couple hours of scribbling notes, conducting research, and drawing up paperwork each week to discover — and stay on top of — all your options.
Increase Energy with Exercise.
If you were never the athletic type, getting started is still going to be the hardest part. The first tip is to find an activity you enjoy and that’s easy to access. If you hate the idea of hitting the gym but love to bust a move, find a senior dance class to join! Or, if it’s easiest for you to exercise from home, start with these chair exercises that are ideal for seniors to do safely or follow a Tai Chi class online.
Learn something new, use an “accountability partner” who does the activity with you to help you stay encouraged and enthusiastic, and engage with the online community by leaving your pearls of elder wisdom in the comments section of your favorite video or as a Yelp review of your favorite teacher.
The most important thing is to not let fear hold you back from giving it a try. Endocrine Web recommends that diabetics get 30 minutes of exercise a day, three days a week, but it’s perfectly fine to break up your sweat sessions into smaller increments.
Spice Up Your Diet.
Just like it’s easier to exercise when you make it fun, it’s easier to stick to a balanced diet when you find foods you love that fit your nutrition needs.
Using a list of the best foods for diabetics, for example, stay inspired with creative ways to work these into your diet more frequently. Purchase a new cookbook, find a meal plan the fits you, watch the Food Network, or search YouTube for interesting recipes that optimize the ingredients you need and eliminates the foods that don’t serve you well.
Healthy living takes on different meanings at different stages in life, but no matter your age, the desire for a healthy life ultimately comes down to the same basic goals: we all want to feel our best.
Photos: Edu Carvalho, Marisa Howenstine, Ashwin Vaswani, Nashua Volquez, Italo Melo
WORDS: ERIN REYNOLDS
Erin Reynolds is single mom who taught herself how to do home improvement projects and repairs to save money. Read more of her tips on her site DIY Mama.