Aging well does not mean not aging. But, successful aging involves good health, both physical and psychological. While changes in our bodies and the way we think and feel are inevitable, the steps below can maintain, even improve your health well into your 80s, 90s and beyond.
1. Exercise: A lack of exercise is the primary reason for most physical decline and is directly responsible for increasing the potential of falling. So, once you’ve checked with your doctor:
• Begin weightlifting. You can join a gym or a local exercise program (try the SCV Senior Center), but you can also get an excellent workout at home using lightweight plastic barbells, cans of food or even plastic milk jugs filled with water or gravel. What is the good news? A group of 90-year-olds improved their strength 174 percent after only eight weeks of weightlifting.
• Take a 30-minute walk every day. If it’s too hot or too cold, walk around your house or in the hallway, get your mail, just keep moving.
• Eat healthier. Follow your doctor’s orders with low-salt, low-carb meals or change just one eating habit to improve your health: cut out desserts a couple of days a week or eat a piece of fruit a day.
2. Keep a positive attitude: As we age, there are definite changes in the way we think. For example, the functioning of the left or analytical side of our brain tends to slow down, while the right side, which is responsible for sensing and processing experiences, is enhanced.
• Stimulate the left side of your brain; keep it active with analytical tasks such as working crossword puzzles, learning new tasks or skills and taking music lessons.
• Keep a journal and write regularly about your feelings and impressions. If it’s difficult to write due to failing eyesight or arthritis in your hands, use a small tape recorder.
• Laugh. Never let a day pass without seeing and expressing the humor in your life. Laughter lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones and boosts the immune system, so share a joke, watch a comedy or read the comics.
• Learn to meditate. It’s as simple as sitting in a darkened room for two minutes and inhaling until the air completely fills your lungs. A 101-year-old Japanese teacher named Nobuo Shioya credits this breathing technique for his long and healthy life.
Charlene Perrone is a Certified Senior Advisor and owner of Home Instead Senior Care.
For a free copy of Aging Wisdom for Ageless Living or more information, please call Home Instead Senior Care at 661-254-8701.
Excerpted from Aging Wisdom for Ageless Living