Your knees have become creaky. You huff and puff climbing the stairs. How could this have happened? Facing the changes as we age is a challenge. We want to stay healthy and active. Here are some tips that will help you to make your senior years some of the best of your life.
Turn that frown upside down to avoid wrinkles and lines. It sounds silly, but it really is true. So if you feel yourself doing it, pinch yourself to stop. You can eventually stop this bad habit.
One of the easiest ways to achieve slow aging is by eating the right types of food. This can be done by eating vegetables that are high in antioxidants, which protect our body from oxidative stress. This results in having a body that has clearer skin and ages slower than normal.
Physical activity is necessary to keeping your body feeling young even as you age. Find an exercise routine that works for you. Challenge yourself with strength training, jogging, even water exercise. It’s good for aging joints! Exercising can help you feel as young as you want to be!
It is never too late to quit smoking for in order to slow aging. Smoking not only increases the risk of lung cancer and emphysema, it is associated with a number of other cancers, cardiovascular disease, and a decreased resistance to illness. Of course, it also has a terrible effect on skin. By quitting smoking, the aging process can be more comfortable and you can extend your life expectancy.
Living can be very hard work. Even if you do not have a job outside of the home, it is going to take it out of you some days. Take the time to rest now and then. You could do this every day if your schedule permits but if it does not, be sure to rest and relax at least a couple times a week.
Are you caring for an aged family member who has Alzheimer’s disease? If so, it can sometimes be a stressful undertaking. You need to remember to carve a bit of time from your caregiver role to devote to some personal time for yourself. Make an appointment every day to meet a friend or spouse for a meal or a cup of coffee. Give yourself permission to ask others to take over your duties as caregiver while you take a break. You can also check out services offered by reputable adult day care programs.
In order to keep the signs of aging at bay, you need to avoid overeating and stuffing yourself until full. Do not starve yourself, but there is no better way to slow aging and extend life than cutting back on the calories. Just as a rule of thumb, avoid overeating in any situation.
Have regular hearing screenings as you get older. Loss of hearing is something that happens gradually, so you may not even suspect that you have hearing loss until something drastic happens. Have hearing screenings done so that you know if your ears are still working well or you need to consider a hearing aid.
Working on your self image during aging is vital. Self image is important as western cultures often place a great deal of emphasis on young people and you need to keep your self- esteem while aging. Just because media and popular culture is obsessed with youth, it does not mean you do not matter!
You need to make sure your eyes have adequate protection as you age. The eye ages along with every other part of your body. Protect your eyes against ultraviolet radiation by wearing sunglasses with a high UV rating every time you leave the house. Regular drugstore sunglasses are acceptable only if they contain a high UV rating.
If you are down in the dumps often, you will expedite the signs of aging. Try to keep an optimistic and positive mindset when you are faced with an issue, and be thankful of what you have in your life. This will help you to appreciate the important things and improve your mood.
Common causes of hearing loss while aging are tinnitus and prebycusis. Tinnitus can be diagnosed by a buzzing or ringing in the ears and prebycusis is just a gradual hearing loss due to aging. Adults over the age of fifty are more prone to prebycusis and tinnitus. Hearing loss is quite common and can be combated by regular ear check-ups and hearing aids.
Listen to your doctor’s advice and follow the medical check-up schedule he recommends. When you stay in control, it is easier to sense when something isn’t right. The sooner you catch a problem, the easier time you will have dealing with it and fixing the situation.
Just because you are older, it does not mean that you have acquired all the knowledge there is to acquire. Your brain is like any machine out there and needs regular use to keep it working properly. So, keep your brain active and sign up for a class or read books. Even a crossword puzzle will keep your brain in working form.
A wonderful gift adult children can give is caring for aging parents! To do so, there are many things to consider. In the area of finance, it is essential to create a budget specifically for care giving. Make a list of what funds you have to work with, and the needs of you parents. This will help you see if funds are being utilized to their fullest potential!
‘Love makes the world go around’ and keeps even an aging heart alive! Remind everyone you care about that you love them, as often as possible, and you will get the same in return! Life is too short to hold a grudge against anyone, so let it go – move forward with peace and joy.
These tips give you a place to start. Now it is up to you to apply them. Choose the ones that suit you best and follow through with the exercise and care that will keep you healthy. Explore things you have always been interested in but didn’t have time to master. Your later years give you the great gift of time.
