The majority of us assume that our health will start to suffer as we head into old age. After all, creaks, cracks, and health complaints are part and parcel of the passing years. Or are they?
Obviously, to some extent, your body will become less pliable as you age, and no one can prevent that. But, when you consider even just the elderly people that you know, the chances are that their health and abilities vary greatly. And this is true across the population, with some 80-year-olds struggling to walk long distances, while others in their 90s still go for a long daily stroll.
When you consider this, it’s plain to see that health in old age isn’t as cut and dry as many of us often believe. In fact, simply assuming that you’ll lose abilities such as a good memory or your mobility, makes it far more likely that those eventualities will come true.
To avoid that, it’s important to realize that, even in old age, your health and abilities are very much in your hands. In this article, we’ll prove that point by considering just a few things you can do to stay fit in your fifties and well beyond.
Stay active
We’ve all known someone who lost their mobility when they stopped getting out in their later years. As you age and things are more liable to become stiff and unyielding, movement really does become a use-it-or-lose-it situation. As such, staying active is one of the single best things you can do as the years start to take their toll.
Of course, this can be far easier said than done, because you naturally feel less inclined to move as you age. You certainly won’t want to go for that daily jog you handled easily in your twenties when you’re 60+. But that doesn’t mean that movement should be altogether off the cards.
In reality, there are some great ways to stay active without pushing yourself too far, they simply require you to reassess the ways you approach movement. You’ll no doubt want to scrap high-impact exercises, but gentler options like walking, yoga, pilates, and so on still offer fantastic options for staying limber.
There’s hard evidence to prove that walking as little as 8,000 steps a day in your later years lowers the risk of death from all causes by an astonishing 51%. That’s just a walk to the shops and back. And it could literally save your life!
Develop a regular relationship with your doctor
Throughout your youth and early adulthood, the chances are that you only visited your doctor when you had a specific complaint. But, from about 50+, there are undeniable benefits to developing a more regular relationship with your healthcare provider. At the very least, you should aim to attend annual ‘wellness checks’, during which your doctor can measure crucial things like your blood pressure, your BMI, and any niggles that could lead to more severe health issues later on.
The frequency of these checks will vary a great deal depending on your situation and health history. For instance, if your family has a history of things like diabetes, cancer, glaucoma, or stroke, then you could probably benefit from booking further health checks and screening tests. Your doctor will be able to advise you on the need for this during a visit.
It’s also worth noting that, as you age, your immune system becomes less tolerant of even general winter viruses. As such, on top of your checks, you should make sure to book things like a flu jab to keep you fighting fit every winter.
Make medications a part of your routine
Even if you take steps to stay healthy as you age, you’re liable to need long-term medications that may include things like diabetes or blood pressure medication amongst others. The need to take these things, in itself, should have no real impact on your day-to-day health. But, if you forget to take these medications, you could quickly start feeling your age.
Making your prescription medications a part of your routine is, therefore, another thing you’ll need to do to stay healthy in your later years. And, the easier it is to achieve that goal, the more seamless your ongoing health will feel.
Luckily, there are a few different ways to manage this. Something as simple as ordering your prescriptions to a pharmacy that uses patient adherence solutions could see you collecting your medications in simple dated blister packs that help you keep track. Equally, there are now apps that allow you to monitor your medications. Or, you could just ask Alexa to remind you when it’s time to take your pills.
However you choose to make medications a regular part of your day, your health will surely thank you for it.
Harness a healthy diet
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We all understand the importance of diet for maintaining health throughout our lives. But, as you age and become more susceptible to various health issues, what you eat becomes even more important.
This is evidenced by the fact that studies have continually revealed how a Mediterranean diet, for example, can contribute to a longer lifespan. There have even been studies that highlight how a Mediterranean eating style could help you maintain your cognition!
In particular, experts recommend a low-sat diet known as DASH, alongside a Mediterranean eating style that’s commonly referred to as MIND. Within these two diets, you should focus your eating on foods like –
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Healthy whole grains
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Fresh fruit and leafy veg
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Oil-rich fish
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Nuts and seeds
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Heart-friendly oils like olive oil
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Etc
Some great recipes to consider to help you pack these things into your meals include vegetable soups, quiches, smoothies, stews, salads, and even decadent pasta dishes with plenty of fish added in. It’s especially worth developing a set meal plan with these things in mind, as your appetite may naturally drop off as you age. However, maintaining a healthy mealtime routine with the help of these foods will assist with everything from your energy levels to your mental cognition and your wellbeing more generally.
On the flip side of this point, it’s also worth noting that your body may become less tolerant to unhealthy foods as you age, and certainly more liable to show its effects. Try to avoid things like heavily processed foods, excessive sugar intake, or foods cooked in saturated fats like lard and butter.
Settle on sleep solutions
It’s no secret that our ability to survive on minimal sleep diminishes as we grow older. While we may be able to pull all-nighters without feeling any detrimental effects in our late teens and early twenties, most of us wouldn’t dream of doing the same from around 30+.
But, achieving regular, quality sleep is especially crucial for maintaining your health as you age. This is particularly true for your cognitive health, with studies revealing that people in their 50s and 60s were at a significantly higher risk of developing dementia after getting less than six hours of sleep a night. There’s also some evidence linking poor sleep quality, or napping rather than quality sleep, to a higher mortality rate in five years.
Interestingly, however, experts believe that seniors may not require the same 8-9 hours of sleep that many adults should make sure of. But, you should still aim for around 7-8 hours each night. It’s also important to ensure quality sleep by going to bed at roughly the same time each night for the sake of your circadian rhythm. Too often, this is something that people fail to do after retirement, and alongside general aches and pains, this can result in fitful, unproductive nights, and the health complaints that typically follow them.
Cut out bad habits
Bad habits aren’t ideal for our health at any age, but they’re especially bad news in your later years. This is because things like smoking and heavy drinking can significantly shorten your lifespan. Equally, issues related to these habits, including emphysema and high blood pressure, can prevent you from maintaining your health in other areas.
Even if you’ve smoked for decades, quitting is sure to have a beneficial impact, and could even –
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Lower your risk of cancer, stroke, and heart disease
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Improve your blood circulation
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Enhance your mobility
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And more
Cutting your drinking down to recommended levels can bring many of those same benefits, as well as improved sleep, reduced blood pressure, and improved absorption of crucial nutrients like vitamins B1 and B12.
Takeaway
You may naturally need to slow down a little as you age, but the idea that there’s no way to stay fighting fit in your later years is completely false. There are plenty of people out there who manage to stay active and switched on well into their 90s and beyond. And, they most often achieve that goal through developing a healthy senior lifestyle. Even if you’re already feeling the effects of the years, put these tips into action to start enjoying a healthier, more fruitful time in your later life.
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