Tips for Healthy Aging

Growing old is almost as inevitable as taxes. As we grow old, our bodies decline, and their functions lose efficiency. Seniors become less active than when they were younger, and health issues begin to pile up. If you ask any provider of senior care in New Jersey, they will tell you the same conclusion.

It’s not all doom and gloom, however. While it is true that we can’t stop growing old, we can do so while maintaining a relatively healthy body. As a purveyor of nursing care in New Jersey, we at Serenity Senior Care offer the following tips for healthy aging:

1.Physical Exercise

It’s never too late to start exercising. Studies show that even walking 30 minutes a day can be beneficial to your body and mind. You could try taking the dog for a walk around the block, going on an evening stroll with your spouse, or playing some quick games of badminton with neighbors when you get back from work.

Maintain a decent amount of physical activity. By doing as much exercise as you safely can, cardiovascular and respiratory health can be maintained

2.Eat Clean

There are plenty of healthy ways to prepare foods that taste delicious as well (see here for 20 ideas). It’s also important to keep your diet balanced, because you have to consider your body’s nutritional needs over the span of a whole day.

Learn about your body, because different people have different needs. Some people need more fats in their diet for optimal health, while others would benefit from more proteins. Some are allergic to certain foods and may fall sick when they eat those specific ones.

Diet Tips for Healthy Aging

• Maintain a healthy weight

• Eat plenty of fruits and veggies

• Drink plenty of water throughout the day

• Limit alcohol consumption, if you drink at all

• Limit or eliminate caffeine intake

• Limit sugar consumption (or eliminate it entirely)

• Eat breakfast daily

• Limit red meat consumption, if you eat it at all

• Include salmon, tuna, trout and other fatty fish in your diet on a regular basis

• Maintain a decent amount of physical activity. By doing as much exercise as you safely can, cardiovascular and respiratory health can be maintained.
• Eat the amount of food appropriate for your health. But, consider food restrictions when you have food-triggered illnesses.
• Get enough rest to allow your body to self-rejuvenate. By doing this, your cells will have time to recover and regenerate.
• Do things that make you happy. Mental health is as important as physical health.

3.Avoid too much stress

Stress can be both mentally and physically harmful. When we are stressed, our body releases hormones and other chemicals that are intended to help us deal with the situation at hand. These chemicals are released whether the stress is physical or emotional. Chronically high levels of these chemicals in your body can put a strain on many different systems in your body, reducing its overall function.

Tips to Reduce Stress

1. Practice meditation.
2. Go for walks in nature.
3. Try a relaxing practice like yoga or tai chi.
4. Get plenty of sleep, and manage your sleep cycle with an alarm clock if needed to avoid sleeping too much during the day when it is time to go to bed at night.
5. Engage in mindful activities like knitting, gardening, or baking bread.
6. Spend time with friends and family.
7. Look after your physical and emotional health by eating a nutritious diet and exercising regularly.
8. Identify things that cause stress in your life, like loud noises or bright lights, and adjust your environment to reduce these kinds of stressors.
9. Express emotions, such as anger or frustration; bottling them up can increase stress levels over the long term.
10. Don’t be defined by your age. By doing so, you miss out on things that make you happy and satisfied.

4.Stay positive

This is a very important part of living a good and healthy life. Being positive helps us to deal with whatever life throws at us, and being negative can cause stress and worry that can in turn harm our health. Stay positive and surround yourself with positive people.

How to Cultivate a Positive Mindset in Your Senior Year

• Remember the past

• Look to the present

• Embrace your future

• Acknowledge your losses but continue to live life fully

• Cultivate a grateful heart and be mindful of what is around you

• Seek support from others in times of need

• Learn how to say no to things that don’t serve you

• Find ways to be creative and do something with your hands

• Be active and explore new places

• Develop a healthy and positive relationship with your family

• Find ways to connect with others

• Practice breathing exercises and meditation

• Never give up on your dreams

• Take care of yourself in spite of the challenges you may face

Of course, the tips mentioned above are not the only ways to be healthy in our golden years. In the services that we offer, we integrate those tips and more to help our clients age healthily. If you’re looking for home care services in Bloomfield, New Jersey, we recommend that you try us out. For more information, please contact us at 973-338-0124.