Aging is non-reversible and a journey of the lifecycle in human life as well as evolution, uncontrolled by external forces, whether an individual is rich, poor, fit, or fat. With entering into the important second half of your life, an individual becomes mentally strong, but his physical health starts to deteriorate. Aging or getting older has some positive as well as some negative effects. Positive effect including better wisdom and maturity while negative effect involves grey hair, fine lines on the face, declining health, weaken the bone, and fine lines on the face. But taking proper care of health can lead to healthy aging. It is not impossible to stay fit while aging, but little care can lead to a healthy and fit old age. A few steps, if taken, at the start of old age, could not only help to lead a better but an active life old life as well.
The following tips help to stay healthy while aging:
- Eat healthy and home-made food
The digestive system also deteriorates with growing old. Thus the body becomes capable of tolerating oily or heavy food anymore. In such a case eating oily food could lead to various stomach related problems, which not only make individual sick but affects him mentally as well. The digestion related problem further leads to various heart-related problems like cholesterol, hypertension, obesity, and even diabetes.
Eating an excess of oily food can also lead to impaired brain function and thus must be avoided in the old age. Instead, healthy eating should be routine in day to day life. Try to eat food that is not only healthy but filled with healthy nutrients in minerals, which will not only make a proper fit but also leads to a healthy and long life.
Healthy foods like grains, pulses, nuts and dry fruits, vegetables, dairy items like milk, yogurt, and buttermilk should be more consumed instead of oily food. Unhealthy food items, which include fatty foods like butter, meat, sugar, salt, and packaged food, should be avoided. People suffering from various diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and cholesterol should avoid all packaged and unhealthy food.
With aging, certain foods require avoiding, which leads to constipation, stomach pain, and diarrhea. Avoid eating food with excessive sodium, pre-packaged food, and restaurant food since this food can upset your stomach, instead try to rely on healthy and home-made food to stay active and disease-free. One can also follow the doctor’s suggestion regarding the correct diet to consume in such an old age and whatnot.
- Exercise regularly to stay fit and healthy
One of the most important aspect in old age is staying physically and mentally fit by either exercising or doing yoga.
It is advised for old persons actually to exercise for around 30 minutes daily. Nowadays, yoga is trending and the oldest form of physical activity to stay fit. Thus, yoga helps to stay fit daily.
Yoga is easy to perform and doesn’t include postures difficult to perform. Yoga is a very easy and effective way to stay fit. Many old persons at the start of their aging didn’t perform any physical activity whose result is what they suffer in upcoming years of their life when it becomes difficult for them even to perform their daily tasks.
The body jams if it is not made active at the right time, and then it becomes difficult for them even to perform daily basic activities of their life since the body stops its functionality. While exercising, an Individual can save himself from difficult problems like weakening of muscles and bones, the flexibility of their joints, proper blood flow. Regular exercise can be helpful in many chronic health problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cholesterol, and even arthritis. Depression is curable by physical exercise. Also, keeping oneself fit can help to keep them busy for some time of the day. One can also consult the doctor to take advice regarding the daily workout of people growing old.
- Stay social that is connected with the problem
Loneliness is a state which can affect the mental health of an individual; thus, it is very important to stay connected with people and loved ones, especially in old age. Talking and connecting with someone not only makes older adults happy but also helps to spend their time gracefully without loneliness.
It is always advised to older adults to stay social, whether connected with some NGOs or helping their grandchildren or nearby person in studies. Studies show that seniors who are left out isolated themselves and thus have problems associated with their day to day activities. Loneliness can put an individual into a state of depression and stress, and this stress makes them cause medical problems like swelling, arthritis, and diabetes.
Stress can even make themselves weak for even performing day to day tasks like bathing or walking since, as per a study, often the reason and the cause for more than 90 percent of the illness. Stress can make an individual inactive. Mental harm affects an individual to a greater extent as compared to physical harm.
If an individual becomes mentally ill, then even if he or she is capable of performing a particular task mentally, they won’t be able to do it because their mind will restrict them. Thus, mental health plays an important role in an individual’s life. Thus, in old age, it is very important to make friends, stay social, be a part of social activities like NGOs, and volunteer someone who needs help.
- Other activities to be performed to stay active while aging
- Getting adequate sleep is an important part as soon as a person starts aging. An older aged person needs the same sleep as needed by adults that is 7 to 9 hours a day. Lack of sleep can cause many disorders like irritation, aggravation, depression, etc. Walking for around 30 minutes a day is prescribed to older adults to get better sleep, better digestion. Walking helps to a larger extent by minimizing the risks of health diseases like heart disease, controls cholesterol as well.
- Visit the doctor for regular check-ups. As age increases, it becomes very important to have regular health check-ups since many diseases at the initial stages don’t show any symptoms. With regular check-ups, identify these diseases at the initial stage and could be cured. Also, don’t neglect even the small changes in the body because the small disease can become chronic if proper care is not taken. It is advised to visit a geriatrician, orthodontist, orthopaedist, and physician regularly to avoid any major health issues.
- It is also advised to the person entering in their old age to neglect alcohol consumption and quit smoking. Since an old body can’t tolerate the effect of alcohol and cigarette in the same way as the young body was tolerating, thus it is advised to switch to a healthy mental and physical life and quit all the things harming the body.
- Maintaining brain health with the old age is also very important. Try to perform the exercise to boost mental health. Most adults face a problem of Alzheimer’s in old age, which should not be neglected. Alzheimer’s could lead to some very critical issues and could not be ignored by an individual. Thus, take proper medication as prescribed by a doctor and focus on yourself to spend a better old age.
Conclusion
Old age is not the best part of human life. But it could be spent happily and actively if these small issues should be taken care of at the right time. Aging is enjoyable if an individual has great social relationships, a happy family, and a lot of memories of a young age to be remembered. Aging is not the hardest time to experience, but it could prove otherwise when there is no right care to exhibit during the situation. Thus follow the tips mentioned previously to spend your old age not by totally relying on someone but actively while enjoying it. Just live your life till the last breath.
