Here at Senior Living Plans, we have seniors and those that love them from around the world, that are members of our update newsletter and check in with us regularly. Different people, didn’t backgrounds, and cultures all who want the same thing. To live the best quality of life possible as they age.
So let me ask you a question. If I asked you to pull out an old fashion pen and pager and write down the 5 new habits that you could develop to live the happiest healthiest life possible…….
What would you write on your list?
That is kind of the point of this article. Honestly this idea is not just for you, but also for your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren as well. It is for everyone who want to creat new habits. You have to have to really think about it and write it down.
Some people think that reading about health and happiness creates it. It is a start, but you must take action on what you read.
Success comes from the implementation of simple ideas over and over. If your great grandchild wants to live a long, healthy life, then following this simple write down your top 5 habits to develop process would serve them well the rest of their life.
However Senior Living Plans is about seniors. So let me ask you again, if you pulled out a pen and paper and wrote down the 5 new habits that you could develop to live the happiest, healthiest life possible, what would be on your list?
I understand that everyone who is reading this post lists will be different. Some people reading this article have developed superior eating habits, others a steady diet of snacks, soft drinks, hot dogs and baloney sandwiches. You get the idea, different people different backgrounds. Nobody knows you, like you. So for me to try to tell you the top 5 health habits you need to develop as a senior citizens would be very presumptuous of me.
So throughout the rest of this article, my goal is to help you guide yourself through process, and figure out the 5 activities that should be on your list to ensure that from this point on you develop the healthy habits that can make a positive impact on your life. This is personal, and about you. If that sound good, keep reading, if not, go get yourself a bag of chips and start watching funny cat videos over at PoopHeadvideos.com
Are you still with me? Great!
Let me ask you a couple of questions.
Do you feel as happy and healthy today as you did at age 35?
What about 45? 55? I talk with senior citizens every week that tell me that feel happier and healthy today than they ever have in their life. So it is important that you believe, because it is true you might be able to feel as happy and healthy as you ever have with new, healthy habits.
In fact, you may even feel better by developing 5 new healthy habits. We are creatures of habit, and we get in routines that quite frankly just don’t serve us well. So even small changes can improve your health. Sometimes it is about eliminating those foods or activities that don’t serve us as much as it is about adding new activities.
Einstein had it right.
When we do personal development workshops for seniors, and we ask them to right down the 5 things they can do to improve their health, happiness and quality of life, these are the most common responses.
So we will share with you the top habits senior say they can develop to live happier, healthier, more productive lives. From this list you can probably find a few to add to your personal list of five so, let’s get started with the 3 most obvious answers for may.
Diet – Exercise & Vitamins for Seniors
Diet, exercise, and vitamins are the three most important changes you can make. Even if you’ve never been active, it’s time to get started. A healthy diet and physical activity & the right vitamins are good at any age. As you age, these healthy habits strengthen muscles and bones. Strong muscles and bones reduce serious injuries related to fall.
When your muscles are strong, activities like getting up from a chair or opening a door are easier. When lifting weights, start with a 1-pound or 5-pound weight. If you don’t have weights, use a can of soup, a book, or a full bottle of water. Keep your weights in the same room as your television. Do a few exercises while you watch.
Another way to build muscle is to use a resistance band. This also is called an exercise band. Resistance bands are flexible and come in different lengths. They are commonly used to strengthen upper arm and leg muscles. These bands are very popular with seniors who make the decision to start exercising daily.
Diet
You don’t have to change your diet all at once. Try making 1 small change at a time. For example, instead of eating 2 slices of white toast for breakfast, replace 1 of them with a slice of whole grain bread. If you drink orange juice every day, eat an orange instead for 3 days a week. Eat whole fruit rather than drinking sugary fruit juices. If you like salty snacks, try low-fat popcorn instead of potato chips. Your smart, you know what you can do. So what small changes and improvements can you make to your daily eating habits?
- Add more fiber to your diet. Fiber reduces constipation, helps with weight loss, reduces the risk of diabetes, pre-diabetes, heart disease, colon cancer, and lowers your blood cholesterol level. Men over age 50 should get 30 grams of fiber per day; women over age 50 should get 21 grams per day. Good sources of fiber include beans, whole grains, vegetables, and fruit,
- Try the Mediterranean diet. This heart-healthy diet promotes foods such as fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. It does not include a lot of meat, dairy, or sweets.
- Drink more water. Water flushes out toxins. Staying hydrated will give you more energy.
Exercise
Exercise can improve chronic diseases, such as diabetes. And it can improve your emotional outlook. A healthy diet and exercise feeds your brain. This improves your decision-making abilities as you get older. Consider these changes:
- Exercise 20 to 30 minutes on most days. A combination of aerobic (walking, swimming) and strength training (weights) is best. Walking is one of the easiest activities to start. You don’t have to do all 30 minutes at once. Try walking for 15 minutes twice each day. Or walk for 10 minutes 3 times each day.
- Exercise with a partner. This makes exercising more fun and it’s social. Consider a group, an individual, or even your dog.
- If you don’t like to walk, consider other activities. Try gardening, dancing, fishing, tai chi, or yoga. Any active activity that you enjoy can benefit your health.
Vitamins
Thankfully more and more seniors and their doctors are starting to understand the over role of good health proper nutritional supplementation can provide all of us, especially seniors.
We have seen friends who have never seriously taken vitamins and minerals who start on a solid program and it like an entire new world opens up to them, and they have more energy and mental clarity than they ever thought possible.
There are very few place on the planet more intimidating than a health food store, or heck even the vitamin isle at Walmart, so where do you start?
Luckily for you, if you are senior citizen or a twenty year old for that matter, I am going to share with you how you can check take the right vitamins and minerals off your list, for the rest of your life.
Not many people are aware of this, but there is a company that will design a custom vitamin and mineral program based upon what are personal DNA says we need to live at our peek levels. I have been taking vitamins and minerals my entire life. So when I found out about this company, science, and the fact that they could provide myself, my family, and the ones I love CUSTOM VITAMINS BASED UPON MY OWN DNA, I had to try them.
I had a cupboard full of vitamins, so this saves me money, my customized vitamins are sent to my door each month, and I never have to think about walking in a health food store again and watching another Dr. Oz Show. This has been checked off my list.
There are seniors around the United States, Canada, & Australia and millennial’s for that matter that have the peace of mind of have customized dna vitamins shipped to their door every month, and absolutely the peace of mine these customized vitamins provide them. The companies name is Uforia Science, and if you want to check proper vitamin and mineral supplementation off your list, you can click her to learn more: Uforia Science.
Things to consider
Talk with your doctor before starting an exercise program. about your plans before you start. Your muscles will very likely be sore when you first increase your physical activity. But don’t consider that a reason to stop. Mild soreness will go away in a few days as you become more used to exercise.
How active you are and what you eat are habits. Adopting healthy habits can be tough at first. By starting small and rewarding yourself for each step you take, you can make a difference in how good you feel. You may find it easier to be more physically active and eat more fiber if you think of every day and every meal as a chance to do something good for yourself.
Questions to ask your doctor
- Do I need a full exam before changing my diet and physical activity?
- Can I stop taking my prescription medicines if I adopt a healthy diet and exercise?
- What exercises do you recommend for people who have heart conditions, arthritis and other medical issues?
The Most Common Habits of Happy, Healthy Seniors
Don’t Smoke
Many of the healthy living habits are easy to do, therefore they are also easy not to do so therefore procrastination becomes the enemy. Smoking is different because it is an addiction. It takes a tremendous amount of courage and discipline and determination to quit, but you can do it. Get help, there are now more support for those who decide to quit than every before, so ask you doctor. I think we can all agree there is not a better decision you can make for your health that to quit smoking. So if you are a smoker in stopping is not on your Top 5 health habits to develop, is now the time to add it?
Focus on Relationships
Along with good health, Family & Social interaction is the cornerstone of successful aging. There’s extensive research to back up the protective factor of socialization. Elders typically remain central to their families, taking an active role in family life.
Relationships are both vital and a potential area of vulnerability for seniors living at home.
Many seniors today become isolated and suffer loneliness. Stay connected with family, friends and neighbors. Find “your tribe”, a social circle you do things with and talk to regularly. Many of us experience loss as we age, so this may require effort of going out and meeting new people. Stay active in you church, social clubs, and most importantly family activities.
For us introverts, the good news is your relationships don’t all have to be the human type. Studies have shown that having an animal companion can lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Seniors living alone who have a pet feel less loneliness.
If you family lives far away from you, schedule a time where family member can meet once week on an internet call. This is an activity that I plan on Starting with my aging parents, brother, brother, sister, and daughters. The plan is once a week everyone who can jump on a skype call online for 20 minutes and just say hi and catch up. With smartphones now, we can actually see the people we are talking to, which helps with the emotional connection. “Gorge Jetson would be product”.
Exercise your Brain Continue Growing and Learning.
When you’re working and juggling responsibilities, you put your brain through various complex tasks every day. While stress isn’t good for health, the brain also doesn’t do well with too little use. Want a quick decline? Retire, then sit at home in front of the TV for most of the day.
Quiz yourself. Keeping your brain active with puzzles, games, and other challenges can help you stay sharp at your age. Find games that require skill and thought and people to play them with. Seniors have traditionally played card games for good reason. They are a great way to keep your brain active.
If you want to stay independent, your brain needs to stay active after retirement. Keep growing and learning, whether through travel, taking a courses, or just trying new things. You don’t have to wait until you retire to decide to learn new things. Learning should be a life long adventure.
“I have heard it said when you are green you grow, when you ripe you rot”What new hobby, skill, or business, are you learning and participating in, right now?
What about 5 years ago?
Some people are lifetime learners, and if that has not been your pattern to this point in your life, then why not start right now?
Exciting senior citizens are those that are mastering new hobbies and skills all the time, who stay mentally active and sharp. I know there are seniors who are learning magic tricks to perform when they grandchildren visit. I know others who are learning to fly drones, and the list goes on an on.
What would you like to learn to do? Why not put that on your list, and start today.
Develop a Morning Routine and Start Every Day with Prayer
Develop the habit of starting your day with what many call a “Miracle Morning”
Practice mindfulness. This can mean different things
to different people. Professionals who
have worked years with seniors tell us that attitude seems to be the #1 factor
in successful aging. I would say it is
the #1 factor of a successful life, however many people never learned how to
separate their emotions, and meaningful thought over the lifetime.
They let the event of the day control their attitude, and never really leaned how to master their mind. If this is you, this may be a good place to start. Read and study how to Program your mind for success in all areas of life. This is a great video to watch. Control Your Thoughts
Mindfulness helps reduce stress and create gratitude. Successful seniors might journal on a regular basis, meditate, go for quiet walks, do yoga, say a daily prayer, keep a gratitude list. They have an over all attitude of thankfulness.
Many long living elders belong to a faith-based community. Research shows that attending church services four times per month will add 4-14 years to life expectancy. The important aspects of that are community and spirituality/mindfulness.
I remember a quote I heard as a young man shortly after becoming a Christian, and it has served me well over my life. “Until you are ready to die, you cannot begin to live”.
Our unscientific research says “successful seniors” laugh more
too!
Well, maybe there is scientific evidence. Research shows optimists are
healthier and live longer than pessimists. They have better coping skills, more
friends and handle stress better.
Now’s the time to focus on identifying and changing negative self talk. One study found that people who wrote in a gratitude journal every week exercised more regularly and reported feeling better about their lives in addition to experiencing fewer physical symptoms. We have been teaching individuals how to Program their Mind for Success for over twenty years with our personal development seminars. The book we suggest when when it comes to understanding and controlling SELF TALK is by Dr. Shad Helmeter called Self Talk. What to Say When You Talk to Yourself.
It can be as simple as listing as many things we are grateful for while driving to work, waiting in line somewhere, or first thing in the morning/last thing at night. Practice daily gratitude for one month. You might just like the results.
In our personal development seminars, we teach high school kids to do this, it is a habit that well serve you well the rest of your days no matter what your age when you start.
Develop strong Sleep Patterns and Get Your Rest
There is no question as we age
Seniors can develop erratic sleep patterns.
This is not something that is talked about as much as it should be, but
is one of those issues that you really need to “Take the Bull by the Horns” as
we say in Kentucky. Sleep effects every
aspect of our waking hours, and our over all quality of life.
As we age, we often experience normal
changes in our sleeping patterns, such as becoming sleepy earlier, waking up
earlier, or experiencing less deep sleep. However, disturbed sleep, waking up
tired every day, and other symptoms of insomnia are not a
normal part of aging. Sleep is just as important to your physical and
emotional health as it was when you were younger.
A good night’s sleep helps improve
concentration and memory formation, allows your body to repair any cell damage
that occurred during the day, and refreshes your immune system, which in turn
helps to prevent disease.
Older adults who don’t sleep well are more likely to suffer from depression,
attention and memory problems, excessive daytime sleepiness, and experience
more nighttime falls. Insufficient sleep can also lead to serious health
problems, including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes,
weight problems, and breast cancer in women.
To improve your quality of sleep it’s important to understand the underlying causes of your sleep problems. Do you suffer from erratic sleep patterns? What are YOU DOING ABOUT IT?
Does this need to go on your list of 5?
A few years ago my mom was having sleep challenges and it was affecting her overall quality of her life. We took a Saturday and researched as much on sleep challenges for seniors as we could. Be put together a game plane which even included investing in a Blue Light Sleep Therapy Device, a Sound Machine and a vitamin supplement called Melatonin.
After a ½ a day of research that was the game plan we game up with. We invested about $100.00 on Amazon. That was about 20 months ago, every time I ask her when we talk. Mom, how are you sleeping? Her response is the same, “Like a Baby”.
The family can all tell a difference in her over all energy and mental clarity. Every night she turns on her blue light device and sound machine which are both on her night stand. She takes her Melatonin with her night time Uforia DNA Supplements and she sleeps like a baby. I think this is a habit that she will keep the rest of her life.
So developing the right sleep patterns or any other healthy habits for seniors or any us simply comes down to STOP WISHING and START DOING! DECIDE, make a game plan based upon research and TAKE ACTION!
Remember what our old friend Albert Einstein said.
Have Regular Check Ups with your Health Care Professionals
Honestly, I think this is important for your over all attitude as much as anything.
I so enjoy watching my 84 year old dad strolling out of the
doctors office with a smile on his face, after the doc just told him he is
doing great.
Again he has done the top 3 on our list his entire adult life. He has had an above average diet. He has always gotten more exercise than most
his age, and he has taken vitamins, and now his DNA Vitamins for over thirty
years.
I just think a good habit is to
follow the old adage “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”
Medicare covers wide-ranging preventative care fully. So take advantage and make sure to get
regular checkups, immunizations and screenings.
Make sure you have a good relationship with a primary care physician, you trust
and relate with. Let’s face it when I
see doctors today, I see grown up 12 year old nerds who wanted to go into a
profession where they could make a lot of money. I hate to say that, but that is my true
feelings towards many physicians. So
find one that you feel comfortable with and connect with.
There are health care organizations that can help you find the right practitioners, organize your medical records and keep your health on track. As you age, it’s easy to find life becoming a series of medical appointments.
A great deal of my wife’s time each moth is coordinating her parent’s doctors appointments. It is what it is.
It’s not unusual for ageing adults to have a pillbox full of medications.
My observation is it is usually those who didn’t have cupboards full of vitamins in their earlier, healthier years. When I talk with these wonderful people about how they came to the conclusion that supplementing their diets was not a habit they should develop, I hear the same excuse over and over.
It wasn’t in the budget, or we had kids to raise, we couldn’t afford it, etc. The truth is you pay now, or you end up paying later. The drug bills of many seniors as we all know can be astronomical.
We have many seniors who we work with who after starting on their own custom blend DNA Vitamins their doctors have taken them off various medications, because of the way their bodies have responded to supplements based upon their DNA.
So pill boxes full of medicines have become a way of life for many.
And, too often, no one has reviewed those medications regularly to check for interactions, efficacy and necessity. You need an advocate or family member who can assist with the sometimes overwhelming task of navigating insurance and benefits and medicines.
So have regular checkups with health care professionals and document them.
TAKE A PROACTIVE ROLE IN PLANNING FOR YOUR FUTURE
This is another what we call
“Piece of Mind” habit. Take a proactive role in planning your future. For successful aging, you need
to plan for the best and prepare for the worst. Advanced care planning is
called that for a reason. While you’re healthy, you need to ensure you have
your legal “ducks in a row”.
Meet with your attorney to execute (or
update) necessary healthcare planning and estate planning documents. Talk to
your family members about your wishes. Make sure documents are accessible in
case they’re needed. Schedule a care management consultation to review future
options and possible needs.
You also give your family a valuable gift when you set up funeral
plans ahead of time. I remember how much it meant to our family that my
grandmother wrote down her very specific wishes (with her usual humor). When
you’re in the midst of grief, the last thing you want to worry about is making
the wrong practical decisions. Or, even worse, arguing over those
decisions because your loved one didn’t say what they wanted.
There is a lot of wisdom in the statement “Expect the best, and plan for the
worst”. It is a topic that none really
wants to talk about and everyone seems to want to avoid, but the sooner you get
it done the better, and it will simply add to your over all piece of mind to
know it is taken care of.
It is never too late to find
your life’s purpose and be active doing it.
This is the last habit for seniors to develop to live happy, healthy, lives that I am going to cover in this article, and it may be the most important. Hellen Keller said
“Life is to Be Lived as a Magnificent
Adventure, or Not at All”
It is my since belief that each and every person on this planet are here for a reason. Have you found yours?
I have heard it said, “Life is God’s Gift to Us, What We Do With It With It is our Gift to Him”
When it is all said and done, did we make a positive impact on the people around us, in our world?
The good new is it is never too late. I am shocked at the number of people I have met over the years who tolled away at their jobs, got their kids educated and raised, and the in retirement, find there life’s purpose.
Many people who strongly identified with their career suffer when that role “disappears”. It’s important to think about your desires after retirement and set goals. Carry over your career strategies to successful aging. You might be ready to simply relax after the stress of an intense career, so you might want to think of retirement in different stages.
Perhaps the first couple years you want to reconnect with friends and family, travel, play more golf, and get back into exercise. But, especially as time passes, you may also want to consider volunteering and other purpose-driven activities.
Older adult volunteers report significant improvements in mental health, increased social activity and benefits like a greater feeling of productivity and satisfaction. Other elders enjoy taking an active role in helping care for grandkids, leading committees, teaching a class at the senior center, starting a club, or getting more involved with their church community.
Many seniors decide to start a business, and today it is easier than ever because of the internet. I have worked with thousands of seniors over the years helping them develop anything from a side gig income selling items on eBay and Amazon to using their past work experience to lead teams of entrepreneur minded people.
Most people die with their music still in them is another Helen Keller quote. My life’s purpose is really to support entrepreneurs and those that don’t want to be bond by a 9-5 existence and to help people understand the power when the think powerful thoughts and program their minds for success. You never are too old to stop dreaming, and as a senior, why not dream?
Ben Franklin said, most people die at age 25 but they are not buried until age 65? What was he saying, must people stop dreaming. I think during your senior years, learning to dream again, is a great habit to develop. What if, “God is not finished with you yet”?
Remember Col Sanders didn’t start Kentucky Fried Chicken until after he received his first social security check. Have you found your life’s purpose? If you have, then work at it daily. If you haven’t, is this a worthy mission? Put it on your list, and it starts with learning to dream again.
I hope you enjoyed this article on “Habits of Happy, Healthy, Seniors” as always your feedback and comments are appreciated. Until next time, do you have your list of 5 Habits? Then go work on them.