Resolutions For A Healthy New Year
I know that we are a day late since it is already the second, but I’ve always been a firm believer that New Year’s Resolutions don’t actually begin until the second. We all need to grant ourselves that Jan. 1st grace period. It’s the last official day of the Holidays so it is a clear grey area when it comes to Resolutions.
With that in mind, here are five resolutions that we recommend for seniors entering the new year:
Keep Your Mind Sharp
We often overlook the idea of mental health when extolling the benefits of keeping physically fit. Seniors keeping their minds sharp and active is a key to their overall health and should not be forgotten. Start taking a class (whether in the real world or online) to learn a new skill or activity. Join or start a book club. Resolve to read a certain number of books in 2018. Start playing daily brain games or quizzes – play Sudoku or do the daily crossword puzzle, for example. The activities that keep our minds sharp can actually be quite fun so have some fun this New Year.
Start A New Physical Activity
Exercise need not be strenuous or exhausting to be beneficial. Taking a daily walk is a good place to start. Maybe ask some friends to join in so that you can enjoy a pleasant conversation at the same time. You can expand your social circle too by joining a stress-free, low-impact aerobics class. Or maybe consider a yoga or tai chi class. Just like the brain activities above, your choice of physical activity can be loads of fun.
Add More Fresh Foods to Your Diet
This is a simple one. Eat less processed foods. Famed food activist, Michael Pollan has a direct way of putting it, “Simply don’t buy any food you’ve ever seen advertised. The broccoli growers don’t have money for ad budgets. So the real food is not being advertised.” You will observe a noticeable difference in how you feel by eating a healthier diet.
Make Your Home More Safe
According to the Centers for Disease Control, about one in three adults over the age of 65 fall each year. Many of these falls could be avoided by implementing tips to improve the general safety around the home. Click here for an extensive list of tips and ideas to safeguard your home.
See Your Doctor Regularly
Unfortunately, with age comes an increased risk of illness and other complications such as high blood pressure, osteoporosis and other medical conditions. Ensuring that you schedule a regular annual checkup can help in early detection and prevention of these and other medical conditions and issues. These New Year’s resolutions can help improve your health, both physical and mental, and expand your social connections too. Let’s see if we can make 2018 an amazing year!
