Aging is a natural progression in life. You cannot avoid it, although you can take care of yourself and ensure that you are independent in your golden years. It is a myth that the elderly end up being dependent. Well, you cannot refute the fact that with age, people might suffer some illnesses, reduction in cognitive abilities and physical weakness. Here are some ideas to help you stay independent.
Keep your mind active
Actually, it is not physical weakness but mental weakness that makes seniors lose their independence during the golden years. Mental agility and efficiency go a long way in keeping you independence. You need to be able to take independent decisions and ensure that your mental faculties are not affected by your age.
So, keep your mind active. In your golden years, play games that stimulate your mental faculties. Develop a new hobby that keeps your mind engaged. Read books that stimulate your logical abilities. By keeping your mind sharp, you can remain largely independent.
Accept your limitations and take care
While it is a great thing to feel young at heart, it is equally important to understand your limitations and behave accordingly. With age, your body does lose strength. So, be careful about your actions.
Do not indulge in activities that could cause injury or overexertion.
If you find yourself suddenly losing balance when you walk, use a walking stick. By using equipment that helps in mobility, you are not being dependent but ensuring your independence in the long term.
The best way to avoid dependence is to protect yourself against injuries and falls and mobility products can help you remain safe.
Make certain changes in your home
Small changes such as removing all rugs from the floor, installing bright lights instead of dim ones on the stairs, installing anti-slip floor in the bathroom and eliminating trailing wires can protect you against falls and the subsequent impairment in mobility.
Make sure that your home is equipped with good lighting so that visibility is high. You could also install railings in bathrooms so that you have a support to hold on to.
Make certain changes in your lifestyle
You need to make certain changes in your diet and lifestyle in order to remain healthy and independent. Avoid foods that are high in sugars, calories and cholesterol that are a threat to your health.
Switch to nutritious eating in order to avoid debilitations caused due to poor health. Bring in more discipline in your life by eating, sleeping and waking up at fixed times every day.ย Get at least eight hours of sleep every day. While it is important to take care of your health at all ages, you should be more careful during your golden years.
Visit your doctor at least twice or even three times a year for a complete checkup. In your golden years, the sooner a disease is diagnosed, the easier and safer it is to cure. Most importantly, do not become insecure about your physical or mental health. Being optimistic and confident, but practical about your age, is very essential to stay independent.
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Moin@skin says
Excellent tips to change and lead a healthy life style.
Hopefully you’ll include a post concentrating more on healthy eating. ๐
Joshua says
Nice tips. Definitely gotta stay active, both in body and mind to help you to stay independent when you’re older. I’d also add in some herbal supplements like calcium, magnesium, and ginkgo biloba.