This covid pandemic has made our lives more sedentary which can prove to be dangerous for our physical and mental health. It is even more dangerous in the cases of our elders. Though most of our seniors are in good mental health, many older adults are at the risk of neurological and mental health disorders. The good news is that they are nothing to be worried about, these diseases and disorders can be treated or prevented by following certain simple steps. This post is to bring you some of those steps to make it easier for you to take care of your elders.

 

PHYSICAL FITNESS

 

Our elders, due to their aging and physical health condition tend to spend their time sitting in a single place, which will worsen their health even more. In order to avoid this from happening try to indulge them in any of the following physical activities.

 

Walking

 

 

Walking is one of the best physical exercises for elders. Walking for a minimum of thirty (30) minutes a day will keep our elders away from any cardiovascular diseases. It helps them to keep their blood sugar level in check and keeps them away from diabetes.

 

Strength training

 

 

If your elders are fit enough to lift weights, then make them do at least 120 minutes of strength training a week. This will help them to burn the excess calories in their body and keep them fit. This will keep their muscles safe from loosening and will boost their self confidence.

 

Yoga

 

It is a proven fact that yoga restores all the malfunctioning nerves from your body and helps them to function properly. This in one way restores the production of insulin in your body, which will prevent you from accumulating excess fat in your body.

 

MENTAL FITNESS

 

Ageing does not necessarily affect your mental health. You can prevent that from happening in many ways. Our elders, as they dont have much things to do, their usage of brain reduces which slowly results in the dullness of their brain. They can prevent this from happening by constantly giving work to their brain. Some of those activities are

 

Reading books

 

Reading books will improve their cognitive functioning and will enhance their memory. This will help them in making decisions and will help in analyzing things easily. As a result it prevents them from getting traumatized and keeps their mental health in check.

 

Playing with grandchildren

 

Spending some quality time with babies and grandchildren will refresh their mind and will help them to be calm. The happiness in a baby's face is contagious, it will resonate with everyone around it. Thus it will enhance the happiness resting in our elders and will improve their mental health.

 

Gardening

 

 

Gardening is a part of horticulture, where we grow and cultivate plants and flowers that we need. By taking gardening as a hobby our elders can improve their physical stance and can receive mental help to get relieved of their stresses and spending some time with plants and nature will help them to remain calm throughout the day.

 

Stay connected with friends

 

Nowadays talking with friends from distant regions is made easy by various social media. Talking with old friends and spending time with them will stimulate your brain and will bring back memories which will make you happy and will help in boosting your mental health. 

 

Caring for a pet

Get your elders a pet that they will love. Taking care of them and spending time with them will induce the production of happy hormones in their brain. Caring for others and concentrating in them will contribute a lot in restoring our elder’s mental health.

 

By following some of those simple steps you can keep your elders healthier than ever before, both physically and mentally. Keeping them mentally and physically active will help you to increase the lifespan of your elders and will also fill them with joy and happiness. 60plusindia aims to enrich the lives of senior citizen by providing the best home care services for elderly.

 

Author: Team 60plus India

 

Keywords: Physical wellness, mental wellness, neurological disorders, reading, concentration, happy mind, yoga is the best, flexible body, raising a pet.