It is never too early to think about the life you will be living when you are older. Of course, all of us want a nice retirement with the time to do all the things we never had time for before, and although we can never really know how things will be for us in our later years, there are things we can do to make the odds work in our favour.
Nutrition
Nutrition is the key to not only our physical health, but our mental wellbeing as it affects every cell in the body. Eating a good, balanced diet on a regular basis helps provide the body with all the nutrients it needs.
This doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Generally, adding a few nuts, some fruit and vegetables and reducing unhealthy food is enough. Living on my own, I found I was throwing lots of fruit away and now freeze fruit, such as blueberries and blackberries (they freeze really well), pop them into cold drinks and eat them after!
Exercise
I have never been a gym goer. If I wanted to lose a little weight or get fit, I would rather spend my energy spring cleaning my house of painting the walls! However, I have recently found something that really works for me and only takes about 10-15 minutes per day.
Wall Pilates is a simple but effective way to not only exercise, but to keep your body flexible and supple. It also helps with balance. I keep it really simple, but you can take it as far as you want. Chair yoga is another great way to keep your body exercised and toned. There are lots of videos on YouTube to help you get started, including Sixty and Me’s yoga video series.
Coupled with a walk in the countryside or a paddle on the beach, these keep my physical and mental wellbeing on an even course.
Hydration
Staying well hydrated not only regulates your temperature but keeps your kidneys healthy and helps release toxins from your body. Sipping plenty of water throughout the day is like having all the free calories you want!
Obviously, the amount of hydration you need depends on many factors such as the local climate, the amount of energy you are using, your size, weight etc. I always find a good way to know if I am sufficiently hydrated is looking at the colour of my pee. 🙂
Mental Health
Just as physical exercise helps us maintain a healthy body, mental exercise helps us maintain a healthy mind. I like to do a range of things including crosswords, reading, writing, knitting, walking in the countryside and, sometimes, cold swimming. Always do what you love as this will ensure you do it often.
Another part of our mental health is stress. This can not only damage our day to day mental wellbeing, but it can have a real effect on our bodies. Don’t sweat the small stuff. If something you are worried about will not affect you in three months’ time, let it go.
Be Kind to Yourself
You have come a long way! You have faced many challenges, overcome a huge number of problems. You have looked after your body for decades, and probably cared for many others as well. Now it’s time to be kind to yourself, and perhaps, put yourself first occasionally.
Do things that make you happy. Perhaps take yourself out for a meal, go to the cinema, have a walk on the beach. There will always be things to do, people who want your help or attention, but make the effort to give yourself a little love too.
Enjoy Life
Most of all, enjoy life. That old cliche ‘Life Is Not a Rehearsal’ is so true. Get out there, have some fun. Perhaps take up a new hobby or start ticking off that long bucket list. The more I do off my bucket list, the longer it becomes. And that’s exactly how I want it to be. 🙂
Join the Conversation:
What do you do to keep yourself fit? What are you most looking forward to in later age? Have you changed your diet as you have aged?