We all have a retirement bucket list (dreams). They can be small, or gigantic, sensible to wild, achievable or otherwise.

And in my frequent interaction with other seniors, and reading FB threads from members of elderly groups, one of them stands 10 feet taller above the rest. Yes, some dream to travel, to fall in love again,  start a hobby or a business, a new career, or re-establish a better relationship with God.

But rising above all the noise is to be physically healthy or fit.

How many times have you heard people say, “I don’t mind having no money as long as I am healthy,” or something similar?

And for a good reason – all dreams are possible if you are healthy if not, nothing is.

Good physical health is a game-changer for people of all ages. For the elderly, it is essential. Everything revolves around it.

But what is to be physically healthy?

What is physical health?

Physical health is defined as the condition of your body, taking into consideration everything from the absence of disease to fitness level.

It is a critical factor in determining your overall well-being; of how you live your life.

And at our age, it’s kind of pretty tight. A person at 60 or beyond without any chronic condition of one form or another is as rare as a four-leaf clover. In fact, according to the National Council on Aging, 92 percent of people aged 65 and above have, at least, one chronic condition, and 77 percent have two.

As grim as the figures may show, it’s pointless to get so hang-up on definitions or cling to it like a barnacle on a ship’s hull. If those who are bed-ridden, or terminally ill still hope to get well and get on with life again, shouldn’t you?

Regardless of your health condition, never stop dreaming. Besides, modern science has come up with a lot of tips to help you cope with them.

BUT…

(Capitalization is done purposely for emphasis).

You have to make some changes in your lifestyle to be able to pursue and follow your dreams.

Here are some of them.

6 ways to maintain your physical fitness

I belong to the 77 percent of seniors with two chronic conditions: osteoarthritis and hypertension. While I am taking a maintenance drug for the latter, I take my osteoarthritis in a stride – by playing tennis three days a week and brisk walking in two.

And religiously adhere to these:

1.  Eating well

That you have survived this far means you have not been remiss in your eating. But you have to temper it down a little bit and put in healthy foods instead of junk.

While in your younger days, you shoved anything down your gullet, your stomach is not as strong now so treat it gently.

Don’t eat when you’re famished or over-glut when you do. Eat sparingly, just enough to take you to the next meal. And do take three square meals a day with light snacks in between.

Keep away from foods that can exacerbate whatever medical condition you may have like arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol problems. Some people eat indiscriminately for the reason that they are already taking medications for their medical conditions. This is a stupid fool’s argument. No drug is more potent than abstinence.

2.  Regular exercise

Exercise is important to keep your strength, mobility and other physical health outcomes you can think of. For diabetics, for example, it lowers blood glucose levels and boosts your body’s sensitivity to insulin.

Are you arthritic Then exercise to increase strength and flexibility, reduce joint pain and increase your stamina.

The benefits of exercise in the pursuit of your dreams are unlimited – provided you don’t overdo it or do something that can result in injury.

Exercise need not be expensive. In fact, it is the cheapest way to be physically healthy. You don’t need to go to the gym or buy expensive work-out outfits. Doing it at home is good enough.

Think of this – by keeping busy with household chores you can cover about 2 kms of walking per day.

3.  Get enough sleep

It’s not true that elderly people need fewer hours of sleep at night. Studies show that you still need at least 7 – 8 hours to feel rested and alert the following day.

Some seniors, however, have sleep problems. If you are one of them, consult your doctor or read some of those “how to sleep well” tips found on the Internet.

Remember, however, that except for taking pills, sleeping tips require constant practice until you get the hang of it. So don’t lose hope. Keep doing it  Pretty soon, you will be able to sleep like turning off a light bulb.

Chronic lack of sleep can have serious consequences. Aside from causing irritability, a bad mood and undue fatigue, it can also affect your immune system or result in cardiovascular disease.

4.  Avoid chronic stress

Stress is sometimes good. It rings alarm bells that warn you of potential harm or danger. It is bad for your health if it comes more often than necessary.

Here’s why…

Stress causes an adrenalin rush, raising your blood pressure and heart rate. It can result in physical health problems like cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and decreased immune system function.

People who can’t effectively handle stress often resort to overeating, alcoholism or substance abuse.

5.  Keep a healthy weight

Check your BMI (Body Mass Index). If it is within 18.5 to 24.9, you have a healthy weight. Anything higher puts you in the overweight range. At 30 and above, you are obese and time to shed off those extra pounds if you want to accomplish your retirement dreams.

And why is a healthy weight important?

Because being overweight or obese opens you up to health issues common to the elderly, i.e., diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, decreased immunity among others. It can even affect your mental health.

6.  Socialize

Socializing provides a host of health benefits like a better immune system,  a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Plus it makes you feel happier and healthier.

But you must do it the right way. Socialize with the right kinds of people. People you can easily get along with, supportive, not argumentative. People you can share personal matters with and keep them confidential.

And put it some variety to keep things interesting. For example, if you are a gym person, establish close friendships with a few people of similar interest. And do the same in your other activities. Having a variety of close friends in various fields of interest is a lot more interesting and widens your horizon compared to having only one or two.

To be physically fit is essential to everybody. Aging, however, causes some physiological changes that are uncontrollable. And these changes often pose unexpected threats to your overall fitness. Nevertheless, barring genetic forces, you can avoid or slow down the effects of these threats by simply modifying your lifestyle.

And this article shows you how -with no expense on your part at all except your time.

~oOo~

The post How to Be Physically Fit in Six Ways first appeared on Age With Charm.

“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are,” Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, 18th-century French lawyer, cum epicure, and gastronome.

It’s been a long time since he said those words, but it was as true then as it is now. The increasing problem of obesity and chronic diseases more than says it all.

While it is an embarrassing fact that in some parts of the world, malnourishment and hunger face the people each day, in the more developed countries food scarcity is no problem. The problem is what to do with all the food available to them.

The most convenient solution is to over eat; go on binge eating and drinking.

While there is nothing wrong with that per se, over the long haul, your health will suffer.

Especially when you are an elderly.

Why is overeating bad for seniors?

Overeating, at any age, is always bad for health over the long haul. It is disastrous for seniors because they are no longer capable of going an extra mile. You take life one day at a time and consider each a blessing.

You are no longer capable to handle an increase in weight, blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Or the mood swings like anger, sadness, distress, disappointment – negative feelings caused by too much eating.

While it is almost like a cliche, old age is an age of temperance.

You mellow down a bit. Be more discriminating with friends, social involvement, lifestyle, etc. You get rid of old habits and form new ones – including eating habits.

How to develop a healthy eating habit:

Developing a new habit is always difficult. I never liked raw tomatoes and onions. But I persisted until they became a part of my daily meals.

It requires dogged perseverance in doing things over and over again until they become a part of your system.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Make a weekly menu:

Yes, a menu. It is not as ridiculous as it looks. In fact, it will make your life easier.

It will allow you to plan ahead, i.e. what ingredients to buy, and what to prepare on a daily basis. It removes the guesswork out of what to eat, minimizes errors and assures that you only eat nutritious foods.

Make it a point to have foods that support good health. You may include one or two that may increase your uric acid or sugar levels to provide variation. But they should not occupy a large part of your menu.

2.  Cook them yourself:

Home cooking is always better than pre-cooked foods bought from a restaurant or diner.

You can either do it yourself or have someone prepare them for you. That way you have full control of what you eat. I have someone cook for me but she doesn’t do anything except what I tell her to do.

Prepare just enough to cover the next meal, never beyond that. Foods reheated multiple times lose their flavor and ruin their nutritional value.

3.  Be creative:

These days it is easy to provide variation to the food you prepare even if you are not a culinary expert. Just Google it.

The Internet is full of sites devoted to cooking all kinds of meals. You can have as many variations you want for a healthy breakfast, lunch or dinner. Even snacks.

I do it the old-fashioned way – asking from friends who know how to cook – of which I have many.

4.  Don’t glut yourself:

Don’t eat as if it were your last meal. Just eat enough to last you until the next meal, not two meals ahead. Overeating is just as bad as undereating.

If this means you have to take a snack, then go for it (I always do). Snacks are good for seniors because they reinforce the sugar content in your blood. They keep you going between major meals.

5.  Avoid sodas:

It is very tempting to grab a glass of soda after a hearty meal. Resist it as much as you can. Behind its sparkling sweetness and taste, lurks a lot of dangers to your health.

Sodas contribute to obesity and diabetes. The sugar in soda coats your teeth which attracts teeth-damaging bacteria, they can damage your bones and, according to some research,  they can damage major organs like the kidneys and liver.

So far nothing beats the good old water to flush your meals down your stomach.

6.  Drink lots of water:

There are a couple of good reasons why you should drink lots of water.

First, you won’t overeat because it makes you feel full.

Second, to avoid dehydration.

Seniors are prone to dehydration because age causes the body’s water content to decrease, it also causes a diminished thirst sensation. This is further exacerbated if you are suffering from incontinence, or taking drugs for heart disease or depression.

Dehydration can precipitate emergency hospitalization and has been associated with higher mortality rates among elderly people.

Having a healthy habit is crucial for you to have a happy and exciting retirement life. It can help maintain a healthy weight, stamina, and a good hedge against developing chronic diseases like arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, etc.

According to statistics, 1 in 4 senior Americans has poor nutrition. Don’t be one of them.

Believe me, eating healthy makes a lot more economic sense than being sickly.

Please share with others so they will know how to do it, too.

~oOo~

The post Six Ways to Develop a Healthy Eating Habit first appeared on Age With Charm.