A new year has begun, and if you’re like many others, you’ve written out – or thought up – a specific set of goals for your fresh start. If one of your goals is to be healthier, read on for tips to achieve your resolution – or to take it to the next level.
What To Focus On for Optimal Senior Health and Wellness
A healthier you doesn’t just mean you should focus on fitness, though it does help. There are a range of aspects of wellness you should keep in mind for healthy aging. These include social, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical health.
What can you do to foster each of these dimensions for a healthier you? The possibilities are truly endless, so choose options to best fit your needs and goals this new year.
How Older Adults Can Achieve Optimal Health and Wellness
Enhance Social Health
Social interaction has an impact on your overall health. In fact, it reduces the risk of health issues, like depression, while enhancing a sense of belonging and decreasing feelings of isolation.
- Join a club or group
- Attend social events
- Limit time on social media, instead opting for personal connection
- Enjoy opportunities for intergenerational connections, including mentoring students or volunteering at your church
- Consider moving to senior living where you will find new friends with similar interests
Increase Intellectual Health
Lifelong learning enhances quality of life while bringing health benefits to those who seek out the possibilities they provide. Put some additional focus on intellectual health with these ideas.
- Attend classes and lectures
- Explore local museums
- Try out a new hobby
- Pursue your passions
- Take advantage of local cultural opportunities
- Travel when you’re able, even if it’s a short day trip or weekend getaway
Bonus: Experiences like these can also help to protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
Put More Focus on Emotional Health
Mental health is an important aspect of overall health and wellness because it directly impacts the mind and the body. Discover how you can improve your emotional health with these tips.
- Focus on positivity and gratitude
- Aim for better sleep, around seven to nine hours nightly
- Find ways to relieve stress, including exercise or meditation
- Journal or list out things you are thankful for
Foster Spiritual Health
With so much focus placed on emotional and physical health, it’s not uncommon to forget about spiritual health. No matter what this means for you, fostering your spiritual health has a range of benefits.
- Find a sense of purpose in everyday life
- Reflect or meditate
- Connect with your faith
- Give back to others
Power Up Your Physical Health
A healthier lifestyle is never a bad thing to seek. This year, increase your physical activity, cut back on bad habits, eat healthy, and more.
- Remain a healthy weight, losing weight or maintaining if needed, while exercising regularly
- Cut back on processed foods, which also helps with weight loss
- Drink water and cut back on sugary sodas
- Try exercise classes, remembering to enhance balance, flexibility and stability
- Explore tai chi or yoga, which combine multiple dimensions of wellness
- Stop smoking and drink alcohol only in moderation
Discover Wellness at Waterstone at the Circle
We make it simple for residents to meet their New Year’s resolutions while staying healthy.
With a full calendar of social events, groups and clubs, access to lifelong learning possibilities and spiritual opportunities, and plentiful wellness and fitness programs, residents have everything they need to live healthy. Even better, this includes supportive healthcare services available within the comfort of residents’ private apartments.
To experience how you can have your healthiest year yet, or to learn about our independent living community for seniors 62 and over, schedule a tour.