We have compiled a list of 5 tips for older adults to stay happy and healthy this spring.
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Get Enough Sleep
Sleep needs change over a person’s lifetime. Children and adolescents need more sleep than adults. Interestingly, older adults need about the same amount of sleep as younger adults — seven or more hours of sleep per night.
Unfortunately, many older adults often get less sleep than they need. One reason is that they often have more trouble falling asleep. A study of adults over 65 found that 13 percent of men and 36 percent of women take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep. The home care Tampa FL caregivers will take care of older adults.
Also, older people often sleep less deeply and wake up more often throughout the night, which may be why they may nap more often during the daytime. Nighttime sleep schedules may change with age too. Many older adults tend to get sleepier earlier in the evening and awaken earlier in the morning.
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Eat Healthy Food
Nutrition needs vary with age and gender. Now you’re older, the foods and drinks that make up a healthy diet may need to be slightly different from when you were younger. In general, you’ll need less of some foods and more of others.
How you eat as an older person will also vary depending on your gender: older men have different nutritional needs from older women.
But healthy eating doesn’t really change that much with age, especially if you already have a good diet. You simply need to be aware of your own specific nutrition requirements and adjust your food choices so your body gets exactly what it needs for good health in older age.
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Exercise Regularly
Exercise and physical activity are good for just about everyone, including older adults. There are four main types and each type is different. Doing them all will give you more benefits:
Endurance, or aerobic, activities increase your breathing and heart rate. Brisk walking or jogging, dancing, swimming, and biking are examples.
Strength exercises make your muscles stronger. Lifting weights or using a resistance band can build strength.
Balance exercises help prevent falls
Flexibility exercises stretch your muscles and can help your body stay limber
If you have not been active, you can start slowly and work up to your goal. How much exercise you need depends on your age and health.
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Stay connected with Family and Friends
Staying in touch with loved ones is incredibly important for older adults. But for many seniors, staying socially connected is tough. As people get older, their social groups tend to dwindle — friends and family members move, get sick, or just drift away from their old social group. At the same time, many older adults have an increasingly difficult time getting out of the house and staying active. As a result, it’s common for people to get lonelier as they get older.
Loneliness is bad news, both for a person’s physical and mental health. Humans are social creatures, after all — we’re designed to connect with others. Seniors who don’t get the social interaction they need are at higher risk for developing depression. They’re also more likely to experience high blood pressure, memory loss, and cognitive decline.
Seniors who do stay connected, on the other hand, have a better chance of avoiding all these problems. They’re also more likely to stay independent and physically fit. And with all the technology available to us today, staying in touch with loved ones is easier than ever. They can hire in home personal care FL services. Here are five simple ways seniors can stay connected with friends and family, no matter how near or far away they live.
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Make Time for Self-Care
Did you know that the term “self-care” didn’t become mainstream until 2016? Wellness and a healthy lifestyle aren’t new ideas, but the concept of self-care introduces another layer. The underlying belief is that you can’t adequately take care of others without also taking care of yourself. Many seniors have spent most of their lives taking care of other people, including their children and grandchildren. Self-care or self help for the elderly can be challenging because they’re used to putting the needs of others first.
Here are 5 simple self-help suggestions that are ideal for seniors.
1. Keep a Gratitude Journal
2. Spend More Time in Nature
3. Try Natural Remedies
4. Reconnect With Old Hobbies (Or Start New Ones)
5. Make Weekly Plans With Loved Ones