From Cleveland Clinic
It’s easy to drift into lousy health habits, especially the older we get.
The below tips from Cleveland Clinic geriatric medicine doctor Ardeshir Hashmi are a great reminder for all of us who deal with both physical ailments and other issues that often arise as we age. As a reminder, nearly 95% of older adults have a chronic condition like diabetes, arthritis or heart disease.
So, what can be done to improve this troubling trend?
Dr. Hashmi says the first step is to get moving.
“Our understanding now from science is that even 10 minutes of physical exercise a day, aerobic exercise, it could be whatever you most enjoy: swimming, walking, an exercise bike, but imagine just 10 minutes a day. If you could take the time out, it’s enough to sort of ensure our success physically for many, many years to come,” says Dr. Hashmi.
Dr. Hashmi says that staying active can help in the future with a person’s ability to walk, get out of a chair, balance and overall agility.
He also suggests adding some light weights to your exercise routine. This can help with bone and muscle strength.
Keeping your mind sharp is important, too.
Dr. Hashmi says one way to build new connections in the brain, which is important for cognition, is to learn something new.
For example, you could try learning a new language or musical instrument. Playing cards, doing puzzles or crosswords are also good options.
Another tip: Make sure there’s plenty of protein in your diet.
“Protein in the diet is important for our bodies and our minds. It can be any source of protein, but a healthy source of protein,” he notes. “So, if you’re going to do meat, then white meat, chicken, turkey. If you’re going to do vegetarian sources of protein, there’s a lot of variety: legumes, lentils, tofu. And then also ensuring there are a lot of antioxidants in what we eat.”
Last but not least, pay attention to your emotional health. Dr. Hashmi says that socializing with family and friends can boost your mood. Same with joining group activities or spending time outdoors.
