As any geriatrics professional can tell you, increasing age is often accompanied by a host of physical, psychological, psychosocial, and sexual changes. Your genetic makeup and your lifestyle can keep you healthy for your age, but the passing years take a toll on everyone. However, the choices you make influence your overall health as you age.
Healthy Aging
Seniors are often plagued by a laundry list of problems that involve every system of the body. As a senior citizen, you should know your body. And when something doesn’t seem right, you should make regular visits to your primary care provider, dentist, eye doctor, and other specialists you might need for evaluation and treatment. There is no shame in getting treatment for any condition; if you are not able to afford medical care or needed medications, there may be social service programs to help you out.
For many common problems of aging, certain actions, like adopting a healthy lifestyle, can lessen the impact of aging. This often means:
- You incorporate exercise into your daily life.
- You keep your weight under control, while avoiding smoking and drinking to excess.
- You try to keep an eye on your mental health to prevent the psychological problems that can come with aging.
Why are these lifestyle changes important? Making small changes often improves problems that affect various organs and systems of the body.
The Importance Of Exercise for Healthy Aging
As you age, you are more susceptible to fractures, because your bones lose density and shrink in size. Your muscles also shrink in mass and become weaker. Your joints may show the impact of normal wear and tear, and as a result of these changes, you may be less mobile and less steady on your feet. You can also become shorter as the curvature of your spine changes.
Exercise can help maintain muscle mass, keep bones strong, help restore balance, improve flexibility, and aid in weight control. Building muscle is equivalent to building strength, which can help fight many problems that often afflict you as an older citizen, such as arthritis, back pain, diabetes, depression, obesity, and osteoporosis.
Controlling Your Weight
Many older people gain additional weight and body fat becomes redistributed to the abdomen and buttocks. This is especially prominent in women who are doubly affected by menopause that, due to the drop in hormone, leads to more weight gain and loss of muscle mass. Your metabolism slows down and you burn fewer calories, while doing the same activities as you did in earlier decades. It becomes harder to lose extra pounds and maintain your ideal body weight.
To keep your weight in check, you must make a conscious decision to lose weight by adjusting the ratio of caloric intake to your activity. Both men and women need a minimum number of calories, which experts suggest might be 2,000 to 2,600. For a light to moderately active man add 1,600 and add an additional 1,800 calories for light to moderately active women. A diet that incorporates moderation, regular meals, and modest portions can help get extra weight off. Not surprisingly, incorporating exercise into your regime will assist in weight loss and maintenance.
Combating Psychological Problems
As you age, you may feel a host of emotions that can result from changes in your life. As you stop working, deal with declining health, you may feel lonely and isolated from children and friends. You may find yourself feeling depressed, bored, stressed, and unable to sleep. While you may not have control over some of the causes of psychological problems, there may be ways you can help yourself that do not involve taking antidepressants.
- Exercise, even light exercise, can help boost your mood. There are many safe exercises you can do, even if you are confined to a chair or wheelchair. Even if you are confined to a nursing home or assisted living facility, exercise can provide a way for you to socialize with others.
- Make an effort to connect with others in-person, by phone, or by email. Even if the connections you had earlier in your life are now disrupted by distance, death, or circumstance, you can still become involved in-person or online with other groups of people with similar interests.
- Add new dimensions to your life by volunteering, getting a pet, learning a new skill, or taking a class. By diverting your attention to something outside of yourself, you may be able to impact your mood and outlook on life.
Raintree Medical And Chiropractic Center Can Help
Whether you are feeling physical or psychological pain, the healthcare providers at Raintree Medical and Chiropractic Center can help you. Just make an appointment with your primary care provider. They will determine what’s bothering you and offer you some lifestyle suggestions that may improve all parts of your life. For information or to schedule an appointment, call 816-623-3020.