Contrary to what some people may think, becoming elderly isn’t always about gray hair and having to deal with medical conditions. In truth, many elderly people are just as healthy as they were during their younger years. Granted, being that healthy and staying that way does require diligence and proper medical care. Here are four tips for elderly people to keep themselves healthy and active.
Remain Active
Just because someone is older doesn’t mean they should stop moving. In fact, physical activity is one of the best ways for older people to stay in good shape. This is because regular exercise, whether it’s a power walk or a light jog, can give your immune system the boost it needs to ward off any unwanted illnesses. It also can decrease the risk of inflammation, which is a common medical problem among elders. Here’s a quick list of low-intensity exercises you can do:
- Swimming
- Aerobics
- Riding a bicycle
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Small weight training
If you’re someone who’s not too excited on going out of the house, you can easily do your exercise routine from home. You can use an elliptical machine, a treadmill and even a pulley for your strength training. However, these can be expensive pieces of equipment, so you may have to look to alternative means of affording them.
A great way to get the money you need is to sell a life insurance policy. You can accomplish this by either giving it back to the company or getting a life settlement. A life settlement is when you give your policy to a third-party rather than the actual company. Depending on how much your policy is worth, you’ll receive a lump sum of cash, which can be up to 25 to 30 percent.
Eat Right
While engaging in physical activity every day is good, it’s not the only contributing factor when it comes to staying healthy. You need to balance it out with a nutritional diet, which includes vegetables, fruit and whole grains. Be sure that you are providing your body with the nutrients it needs to build immunity as well. In some cases, living too cleanly can rob our diets of important elements of health. For elderly people, fruits that are rich in antioxidants, like blueberries and raspberries, are ideal as they can reduce inflammation.
Learn How to Manage Stress
Stress is something you can never really be rid of. While some stress is a good thing, experiencing excessive amounts of it isn’t. Stress is the catalyst to many types of problems, albeit physical or mental. Elderly people can suffer the brunt of it more than younger people because their bodies are a bit slower. To keep stress levels in check, you’ll need to learn how to proper management strategies. There are many ways you can manage your stress, which include taking breaks from certain tasks and indulging your favorite hobbies.
Have Routine Checkup
In order to truly know how healthy you are, you need to get your yearly physical. Despite the tips provided here, certain medical conditions can easily slip under your radar. Hypertension, for example, often goes undiagnosed. Seeing your doctor regularly is one of the best ways to monitor your blood pressure.
