Keeping healthy while you’re approaching your senior years isn’t that difficult and it’s definitely well worth the effort. Besides the fact that doing so will help you look better and feel better, you’ll actually be helping your body protect itself against the development of serious health complications.
Of course nothing in the world can prevent health-related issues from cropping up. That’s why it is important to maintain an open and ongoing relationship with a health care provider. He or she should have a complete record of your past medical history. And going forward, it’s also important to schedule regular check-ups. Many people make the mistake of seeing a medical professional only after a problem has developed. However, if a health issue is noticed early on, there’s a better chance of prescribing an effective course of treatment.
Keeping healthy while approaching your senior years involves a number of factors, some more obvious than others. You know by now that it’s important to eat a nutritionally-balanced diet and to exercise moderately several times a week. You also know you should kick any bad habits you’ve developed over the years such as cigarette smoking, drugs or excessive consumption of alcohol. If you’ve been avoiding any of these issues, it’s now time to take action. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has a handy reference at their page – The Pocket Guide to Staying Healthy at 50+.
The sun still can do a considerable amount of damage to your skin so you need to protect it. The development of age spots, wrinkles, and skin cancer can all be controlled simply by applying sunscreen and covering more of your skin with clothing. Doing so is especially important if you plan to spend your retirement years in a sunny climate.
If mobility is becoming an issue, have someone come to your home to help make it more accessible. For example, you may need to remove obstructions that could cause injury or install handrails in showers and along walls. There are many financial assistance programs available to help with modernizing / improving accessibility of your home. For example, the UDSA Rural Development program provides information on this page outlining Rural Housing Options for Elderly People
Another way to ensure you’re keeping yourself as healthy as possible is to get tested for the diseases that start becoming a problem later in life. For men, this includes testing for colon and prostate cancer. For women, it means being tested for cervical cancer and regular mammograms. Staying up-to-date with flu and TB shots are other good preventative measures.
As with any task, keeping healthy while approaching your senior years will be easier if you define one or more health goals you’d like to achieve. With the goal identified, next write down the steps necessary to achieve each goal. Assign a deadline for each step, and as you accomplish each one, reward yourself by planning something out of the ordinary with a friend. Maintaining an active social calendar goes a long way towards keeping healthy while approaching your senior years.
