Health tips for older people

As you get older it’s important to take care of your body and prevent illness. Here are some tips:

Being active

Physical activity boosts your immune system, helping your body to fight inflammation and infections. The activity doesn’t have to be strenuous - more gentle exercises are effective too. Biking, walking, swimming, yoga or low impact aerobics can all help if you feel they are right for you. You should always modify your exercise routine to find what feels best for you.

Supplements

Some supplements help support a healthy immune system including calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B6, or vitamin B12.

Eat a healthy diet

We used to be told to stay away from animal fats at all costs. Luckily, research has caught up and the facts now show that many animal fats are actually good for us and may help elderly people retain vitamins and minerals and combat muscle loss.

How to Choose Animal Fats

The most important element of cooking with animal fats is choosing good quality ones: just like poor-quality, conventionally-raised meat is bad for your health, so too are poor-quality fats.

He says that the best fats come from animals that have been raised organically, grass fed and without the use of antibiotics or hormones.

“When you choose grass-fed and organic animal fats, you get a lot more of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and antioxidants that these meats and fats contain,” explains Dr. Mark Hyman - view report>

“At high temperatures, animal fats such as lard or tallow (beef fat) are good choices because they are less sensitive than other oils and fats," he says, noting, however, that extremely high-heat cooking like deep-frying can change the structure of any fat, leading it to become toxic.

The following oils are less stable at high heats but fine to eat cold:

• Organic extra-virgin olive oil
• Almond oil
• Macadamia oil
• Sesame seed oil
• Tahini
• Flax oil
• Hemp

Reduce stress

Chronic stress increases your body’s production of the stress hormone cortisol. Too much cortisol can disrupt different functions in your body, including your immune system.

To reduce stress, you could increase your physical activity, go outdoors, get plenty of sleep, set reasonable expectations for yourself, and explore relaxing, enjoyable activities.

Get plenty of rest

Not only can sleep reduce your stress level, but sleep is how your body repairs itself. For this reason, getting an adequate amount of sleep can result in a stronger immune system, making it easier for your body to fight off viruses.

Sleep is also important as you get older because it can improve memory and concentration. Aim for at least seven and a half to nine hours of sleep per night.

Causes of insomnia can include inactivity during the day and too much caffeine. Or it can be a sign of a medical condition like sleep apnoea or restless leg syndrome.

A strong immune system can keep you healthier and make you less susceptible to illnesses throughout the year.

Don’t smoke

Smoking is harmful for just about every aspect of physical health. It’s especially damaging to the lungs, but also increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and various forms of cancer.

Fortunately, even if an older person has developed smoking-related health problems, stopping smoking will reduce the symptoms and the chance of a premature death: one study found that stopping smoking between ages 55-64 added four years to one’s life expectancy.

The good news is that if you stop smoking, regardless of your age, your circulation, your lung capacity and your energy levels will improve.

 

Here is some information on stopping smoking: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/mind-body/smoking/

Get enough sleep

As you age your body produces lower levels of growth hormone, so you are likely to experience a decrease in slow wave or deep sleep . When this happens you produce less melatonin, meaning you'll often experience more fragmented sleep and wake up more often during the night. That's why many of us consider ourselves ‘light sleepers’ as we age.

In many cases, you can improve your sleep by addressing emotional issues, improving your sleep environment, and choosing healthier daytime habits. Since everyone is different, though, it may take some experimentation to find the specific changes that work best to improve your sleep.

Avoid chronic stress

Chronic stress has been linked to physical health problems such as cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and decreased immune function. Research suggests that this may be because stress can accelerate cellular ageing and also may promote inflammatory markers in the body.

Common causes of stress in older adults include money worries, relationship problems, work-related stress, and care giving issues. To reduce chronic stress, it’s best to combine general approaches, (such as improving sleep, exercising, meditation, relaxation strategies, etc.), with approaches that can help you cope with your specific source of stress.

Maintain a healthy weight

Obesity is a major risk factor for disability in late life. It worsens arthritis and has also been linked to many health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and glucose intolerance, certain types of cancer and sleep-related breathing disorders.

Studies have found that when overweight or obese people lose even a modest amount of weight — such as 5-7% of one’s their current weight — this can improve physical health and symptoms.

 

Whatever your age, it is important to look after yourself, eat well, stay positive and keep active.

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