Healthy Aging

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What is Healthy Aging ?

September is Healthy Aging Month. Aspects of healthy aging include physical fitness, social wellness, financial fitness and mental wellness. As the average lifespan increases, we all have added reasons to get – or stay – well and fit. After all, we’ll have more years to enjoy life!

Physical Fitness :

As people grow older, it is very important to keep motivated, to say to yourself, “I can do it.” A healthy diet, following your doctor’s recommendations, taking medications as prescribed and regular exercise are all part of keeping physically fit. Physical therapists report that joint-replacement patients who have been physically active need much less rehabilitation time than their “couch potato” counterparts. 

Regular physical activity can help lower blood pressure, improve your heart and lungs, help control diabetes, and make you less likely to catch a cold. Exercise outdoors can improve your mood and outlook. As little as 30 minutes of daily exercise is all it takes. If that’s too much for you, try instead for just 10 minutes three times a day. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Look for daily opportunities to exercise. Park a little farther away from the store entrance. March in place during commercials. Take a walk in your neighborhood and admire your neighbors’ gardens.
• Choose an exercise you like and stick with it. Consistency is key.
• Use the buddy system. It’s harder to put off exercise when you’ve arranged to partner with a friend.
• Join a group at your local Y, church, or senior center.
• Anything that gets you moving counts: walk, dance, climb, bicycle, fish, play table tennis, garden, swim. Remember it’s never too late to start!

Social Wellness :

Staying engaged with life is vital to your happiness and your health. If you’re feeling lonely, bored or isolated, find ways to get involved with others. Here are some suggestions you can try:

• Join a group that meets regularly. Whether it is Bible study, needlework, photography, history, genealogy, music, reading or gardening that interests you, there is a local organization that will welcome your participation.
• Laugh loud and often. Read the comics, borrow funny movies from the library, or call a friend to share a joke. A good sense of humor is essential.
• Expand your mind. Read newspapers and magazines. Visit your public library often. Learn a new skill, or pick up a hobby that got left behind during those years you were busy raising your children.
• Give of yourself. Be generous with the most valuable thing you own – your time. Volunteer to tutor a child, at the hospital, food pantry or women’s shelter. Share your skills at the senior center, at your church, or your favorite charity. Help someone learn to read.

Financial Fitness :

Just as physical and mental fitness are important to healthy aging, so is financial well-being. As we age, we are often faced with fixed or declining income, even as the costs of health care, medication and food and shelter continue to rise. Ignoring these facts only makes the situation worse, so consider these ways to get financially fit:

• Make a budget and stick to it. Maury River Senior Center offers free classes in budgeting and financial management.
• Know what all your assets are. Make a list and share it with a trusted family member or your attorney.
• Remember that money does not equal love. In twenty years your grandchildren will not recall the toy you bought, but they will treasure the memory of the times you took them fishing, taught them to bake cookies, or gave them your complete and undivided attention.

Mental Wellness :

If you think old, you ARE old. A substantial decline in memory is not part of the normal processes of aging. At the National Institute on Aging, research is showing that the mind and memory may be much like other parts of the body – regular use keeps them in much better working order. The greatest enemy of the healthy senior mind is depression. New activities, hobbies and exercise are wonderful anti-depressants. If you are truly depressed, don’t bear it alone – SEEK HELP! To keep your mind and memory sharp, stay active by:

• Doing puzzles. Crosswords, “jumbles” and word search puzzles keep your mind flexible. Jigsaw puzzles are great, too.
• Watching game shows like “Jeopardy.” You could be the next champion, if only in your own living room!
• Using memory helpers. Make lists. Put items back where they belong. Post a schedule on your refrigerator that includes appointments, chores, and times for taking medications.
• Decluttering your home. An orderly living space helps declutter your mind as well. Think of how much less frustrated you would be if you didn’t need to search for things!
• Sharing your memories. Stories of your youth, your courtship, your good and your hard times will be precious to your children and grandchildren. For a very special gift, write down your life’s story and give your family a chapter at a time for birthday and Christmas present.

Other Tips from MRSC:

    Lowering Cholesterol

   Preventing Colds and Flu

   Medicare Part D.

   What is Heart Disease

   What is my Heart Disease Risk

   Reducing Heart Disease Risk

   Healthy Eating

   Prescription Drug Safety-Part 1

   Prescription Drug Safety-Part 2