5 Things Seniors Can Do to Stay Healthy Way After Lockdowns

Seniors need to stay as fit as they can. The body becomes more prone to problems and sickness if not cared for at advanced ages. By exercising, you can improve your immune system and digestive functioning. 

You can attain better blood pressure and bone density and lower your chances of Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer.

Consider balance training assistance 

As you grow older, maintaining balance becomes more difficult. Senior citizens are more prone to falls which can lead to serious injury or in a worst-case scenario, death. 

Whilst exercises such as standing on one foot, lunges, and squats can improve your balance, they can only do so much. There will come a time where it will be for your best interest to use balance training equipment

Whilst balance training equipment can help with correct usage, incorrect usage can lead to injury. You should make sure that you invest in good quality balance training equipment. You should also ensure that you talk to your doctor or fitness trainer before using it. 

You should consider asking someone knowledgeable to demonstrate proper usage. Another good place that you can check is online. These days, you can learn a lot of fitness-related concepts and drills from YouTube. 

If you are into fitness, you must always ensure that you are familiar with strength and conditioning. Knowing strength and conditioning is especially vital if you aspire to become a fitness coach or are heavily into fitness. 

Have a senior-friendly bedroom 

A bedroom is a vital component of everyone’s existence. It is the place where you gain rest. Everyone should have access to a clean and safe bedroom.

The bedrooms of seniors should ideally be downstairs. Due to having fragile bones, seniors risk the prospect of falling and sustaining serious injuries if climbing stairs is required. 

The bedroom should be close to the toilet. Having handrails between the bedroom and toilet is important. This will help to prevent falls and also make navigation easier. 

The bedroom layout should be as simple as possible. To increase space, you can use simple and easy-access drawers. You should avoid clutter in the bedroom. This will reduce the chance of a fall. 

Being able to get quality sleep every night increases the quality of life for seniors. If a wheelchair is used, the bed should not be higher than the wheelchair. 

There should be adequate lighting in the bedroom. Try to pick a room which has good natural light. There should be easily accessible lights for the night. 

Exercise 

One of the best ways to increase the quality of life– at any age- is to do exercise. Not only will exercise increase healthiness and happiness, but it will also allow seniors to be there for their friends and families. 

Improving endurance, balance, strength, and flexibility will help seniors to perform everyday tasks like getting around the house, getting out of bed, and walking around in public. 

The exercises that seniors should do are different from a person in the prime of their life. To prevent injury and over endurance, it is important that seniors are familiar with exercises that are friendly to them. 

If you have health concerns, it is important to talk to a doctor to find out what exercises you can and cannot do. 

Endurance exercises that can be done include walking, swimming, raking, and dancing. For strength training, it is best to do exercises without weights and eventually build to using 2-3 pound dumbbells. 

Balance exercises are extremely important. You can use a chair to help with leg raises and toe lifts. These can help to prevent falls and improve your everyday balance. 

One of the best flexibility exercises that seniors can learn and do is yoga. 

In addition to improving physical health and regulating weight, exercise will help to improve your mental health. 

Eat healthily 

As the saying goes, “you are what you eat,”. This also applies to seniors. It is worth any seniors’ time to follow an Alzheimer’s diet which can help prevent the disease and improve injury. 

Vegetables and leafy greens are important and wonderful for the brain due to their high level of antioxidants. Leafy greens should be eaten with every meal if possible. 

As the brain is made up of 60% fat, it makes perfect sense to regular fuel your brain with fat. Salom, tuna, mackerel, and sardines are rich in Omega 3 and will help the brain to remember better. 

If you are vegetarian, you can replace fish with the eating of beans. Blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries help to protect against inflammation and oxidative stress. They also improve brain cell communication. 

Foods that you should avoid as much as possible include red meat, butter and margarine, cheese, pastries and sweets, and fried/fast food. 

Consider assisted living 

Moving from your own home is never an easy decision. The cycle of life means that there will eventually come a time when assisted living should be considered

Assisted living can increase your quality of life and happiness. The following are factors that mean that it is time to consider assisted living: depression, weight loss, neglected hygiene, forgetfulness, forgetting to take medication, frequent injuries, unusual behavior, and a messy personal environment. 

If you recognize these symptoms in your parents, you should consider assisted living. It is never an easy decision. However, when they need assistance, seniors are usually better off in the company of professionals. 

Not only will this be for their well-being, but it will also benefit both their and your emotional well-being. 

Conclusion 

Being a senior does require an adaptation of behavior. Naturally, there are some things which seniors should not do and others which they should. 

If you do the proper research, you can ensure that seniors can enjoy the best quality of life possible. 

Being a senior is a unique phase of life. It is best to embrace the new challenges and adaptations, we, after all, have only one life!

If you are a senior, focus on enjoying your life and passing down your wisdom to the youngsters!