Simple Strategies Seniors Can Use To Stay Healthy

There are simple strategies that we seniors should employ in order to maintain our health. As we age, it’s more important than ever to do our best to stay healthy. As Benjamin Franklin wisely said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.

Here are a few suggestions that will help you stay healthy. They’re easy to do and lot’s of fun.

Simple Strategies: Exercise Helps Prevent A Second Fall

It’s unfortunate when a senior citizen experiences a nasty fall. It can lead to reduced mobility or a joint replacement.

A new study of 345 men and women, aged 70 and older — suggests that starting an exercise program can prevent a repeat accident, preserve mobility and personal freedom. In the study, subjects cut their risk of a second fall by 36 percent by following the Otago Exercise Program. This program is a series of five strengthening and 12 balance moves with increasing levels of difficulty.

The strength exercises improve knee, hip and ankle strength — while the balance exercises improves your mobility. The mobility exercises are easy to do and consist of walking backward, knee bends, heel walking and toe walking. The program is administered by a physical therapist, and your doctor can give you the needed referral.

Simple Strategies: Light Exposure Is Important

If you have difficulty sleeping through the night and are sleep during daytime hours — both are often associated with Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers have shown that exposing subjects to bright light twice daily can reset their sleep patterns and even reduce their previous symptoms.

Simple Strategies: Afternoon Exercise Stabilizes Blood Sugar

Doctors have long recommended exercise to help control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. Indeed, a recent study showed that men aged 45-68 doing 1 hour of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in the afternoon, maintained their blood sugar at excellent levels.

In their study, exercising a few hours after lunch was not just better for blood sugar control than exercising one hour after breakfast — the two patterns had opposite effects. When the men exercised in the afternoon, their blood sugar remained lower throughout the day.

Walk Every Day

It’s easy and real fun if you do it together with friends. Indeed researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston asked nearly 17,000 women (average age: 72) to record their steps for at least 10 hours a day on at least four days a week. Mortality rates dropped when the women averaged 4,400 steps a day. And, the mortality rates were at their lowest at 7,500 steps.

Get out there and have fun!