6 Key Ways To Stay Active In Your Older Years
Adults whose age is 65 or more usually spend more than 10 hours sitting or lying down on average. They usually take for granted all the things they have enjoyed doing for so many years.
But by remaining inactive, they are depriving themselves of being healthy, energetic, and pain-free. This also makes them vulnerable to falls, osteoporosis, weight gain, and cardiovascular diseases.
It may also prevent them from playing with grandchildren, leisure activities or meeting with friends – all important activities to keep up body and mind health.
Studies have shown those that are more active have a lower risk of suffering from depression, dementia, stroke, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Staying active isn’t only about exercising; it also means staying in touch with community, friends and family.
By leading a healthier, more balanced life, you will improve your chances of living longer, but you’ll also improve the quality of your life.
The body declines as we get older, but being physically active helps to slow such decline, says Dr. Nick Cavill, a health promotion consultant.
Here are 6 ideas to keep you active:
- Exercise regularly
- Aim for 150 minutes at least of moderate activity each week. These can be divided into 30 minutes for 5 days per week. Besides lowering your risk of stress and a number of diseases, doing regular activity is also known to enhance your self-confidence and energy levels, as well as improve the quality of your sleep.
- Weight training to increase muscle mass. There are programs which last only 6 – 8 weeks and are made especially for older adults and can be extremely beneficial. Make sure you’re working all the major muscles, such as your shoulders, arms, abdomen, back, hips and legs.
- Do yoga or Tai chi. Using slow, controlled movements, these types of exercises are excellent ways of building muscle strength, increasing your flexibility and balance.
- Reduce the amount of time you spend sitting or lying down during the day. When you spend too much of your time sitting down, it slows down your metabolism which has a negative effect on how your body breaks down body fat, or regulate levels of sugar in your blood and blood pressure. You can sit down less by:
- standing on the bus or train
- taking the stairs
- set a reminder to get up and walk around every 30 minutes
- swap TV time for a hobby or a task that gets you moving
- Keep Learning. Being mentally active will help keep you motivated to stay physically active. You can take a class at your local community college, or learn a new skill, or pick up a hobby that requires skills you haven’t used in a while, or ever.
- Connect to others socially is just as beneficial as the exercise. So pick a class where you can meet others who have the same goals and motivations as you. Besides fitness classes, you can also join a conservation group where the aim is improving the environment, but it will get you moving and introduce you to new people as well.
- Stay motivated. Some people find motivation in being supple and aging well. Others stay motivated by the company they keep and the friends they meet when they attend fitness classes. It’s also nice to give yourself a reward or some kind of incentive as a pat on the back when you finish your class. Making a plan and sticking with it releases ‘happy hormones’ in your brain which can be a motivation on its own. But looking forward to eating out or watching your favorite TV show as you sip on a hot cup of tea gives you something to look forward to. It will also keep you going when you can’t face the idea of going out, as an emotional bolster to help keep you excited and enthusiastic.
- Have a purpose in life. Volunteering gives you something to work towards. In addition, doing something good for others releases serotonin, a ‘happy hormone. You can also join a club or plan to attend a local event every week or two. This will help you stay active, both physically and mentally, while having a positive outlook on life by doing the things that matter to you.